1986 CFL season

Last updated
1986 CFL season
DurationJune 24 – November 9, 1986
East champions Hamilton Tiger-Cats
West champions Edmonton Eskimos
74th Grey Cup
DateNovember 30, 1986
Venue BC Place, Vancouver
ChampionsHamilton Tiger-Cats
CFL seasons
  1985
1987  
1986 CFL season
Canadian Football League team locations: Red pog.svg West, Blue 000080 pog.svg East

The 1986 CFL season is considered to be the 33rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 29th Canadian Football League season.

Contents

CFL News in 1986

The Canadian Football League decided that all nine teams will play 18 games each, in the regular season. The playoff structure was revised to allow a fourth place team from one of the divisions to qualify for the playoffs if that fourth place team has earned more points in the regular season standings than the third place team from the other division. Until 1992, however, that team stayed in its own division for the playoffs (the league began American expansion in 1993, changing the rules along the way). The four qualifiers in one division played semi-finals and a final while the two qualifiers in the other division playing a home-and-home, total-points, 2-game playoff (this playoff format was last used in 1972). This was somewhat unfair to the first place team, who might no longer receive a first-round bye based simply on what happened at the bottom of its own division. (The current format, which began in 1997 after the league ceased its American operations, sees a fourth-place qualifier cross-over to the other division, essentially becoming the third-place team in that division.) As it turned out, 1986 was the only year this playoff format was needed.

The Canadian Football League and the Canadian Football League Players Association agreed on a new three-year agreement.

The Concordes changed their name to the Alouettes, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the founding of the original Montreal Alouettes.

The Sports Network started to carry live coverage of the first round of the 1986 Canadian College Draft from coast-to-coast.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes played the first CFL pre-season game at Canada Games Stadium in Saint John, New Brunswick. Winnipeg won the game, 35–10.

The CFL also amended the quota to the teams 35-man roster to include 13 imports, 19 non-imports and 3 quarterbacks. The designated import rule was eliminated.

On the field, the end zones were reduced to 20 yards from 25 yards (in response to the popularity of the shortened end zones first used at BC Place in 1983).

The amateur Canadian Football Association changed its name to Football Canada in June; the Football Canada name had long been used in French.

The CTV Television Network ceased CFL broadcasts after this season; it had aired CFL games since 1962. The league-run syndicated Canadian Football Network took its place the next season.

Regular season standings

Final regular season standings

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points

West Division
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Edmonton Eskimos 18134154036527
BC Lions 18126044141024
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 18117054538722
Calgary Stampeders 18117048438022
Saskatchewan Roughriders 18611138251713
East Division
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Toronto Argonauts 18108041744120
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 1898140536619
Montreal Alouettes 1841403205008
Ottawa Rough Riders 1831413465147
  • Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.

Grey Cup playoffs

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the 1986 Grey Cup champions, defeating the Edmonton Eskimos 39–15, at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium. This was Hamilton's first Grey Cup victory since 1972. The Tiger-Cats' Mike Kerrigan (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Grover Covington (DE) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence, while Paul Osbaldiston (K/P) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

Playoff bracket

November 16: Division Semifinals/East Game 1 November 23: Division Finals/East Game 2 November 30: 74th Grey Cup @ BC Place StadiumVancouver, BC
         
E1 Toronto Argonauts 25
East
E2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 42
E2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 17
E1 Toronto Argonauts 31
E2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 39
W1 Edmonton Eskimos 15
W3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 14
W2 BC Lions 21
W2 BC Lions 5
West
W1 Edmonton Eskimos 41
W4 Calgary Stampeders 18
W1 Edmonton Eskimos 27

CFL Leaders

1986 CFL All-Stars

Offence

Defence

Special teams

1986 Eastern All-Stars

Offence

Defence

Special teams

1986 Western All-Stars

Offence

Defence

Special teams

1986 CFL Awards

Related Research Articles

The 2005 CFL season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.

The 2004 CFL season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.

The 2003 CFL season is considered to be the 50th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 46th Canadian Football League season. The pre-season began on May 30, 2003 and the regular season started on June 17, 2003. Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan hosted the 91st Grey Cup on November 16, with the Edmonton Eskimos defeating the Montreal Alouettes 34–22.

The 2002 CFL season is considered to be the 49th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 45th Canadian Football League season.

The 2001 CFL season is considered to be the 48th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 44th Canadian Football League season.

The 2000 CFL season is considered to be the 47th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 43rd Canadian Football League season.

The 1999 CFL season is considered to be the 46th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 42nd Canadian Football League season.

The 1998 CFL season is considered to be the 45th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 41st Canadian Football League season.

The 1997 CFL season is considered to be the 44th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 40th Canadian Football League season.

The 1996 CFL season is considered to be the 43rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 39th Canadian Football League season.

The 1982 CFL season is considered to be the 29th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 25th Canadian Football League season.

The 1980 CFL season is considered to be the 27th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 23rd Canadian Football League season.

The 1978 CFL season is considered to be the 25th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 21st Canadian Football League season.

The 1977 CFL season is considered to be the 24th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 20th Canadian Football League season.

The 1976 CFL season is considered to be the 23rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 19th Canadian Football League season.

The 1974 CFL season is considered to be the 21st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 17th Canadian Football League season.

The 1971 CFL season is considered to be the 18th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it was officially the 14th Canadian Football League season.

The 1970 CFL season is considered to be the 17th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 13th Canadian Football League season.

The 1962 CFL season is considered to be the ninth season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the fifth Canadian Football League season.

The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it is the 53rd Canadian Football League season. Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton hosted the 98th Grey Cup on November 28 when the Montreal Alouettes became the first team to repeat as Grey Cup Champions in 13 years, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 21–18. The league announced on its Twitter page on January 29, 2010 that the season would start on July 1, 2010. As of 2021 this is the most recent CFL regular season to start in July.

References

  1. "CFLapedia".