Canadian Football League East Division
Encyclopedia
The East
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...

 Division
Division (sport)
In sports, a division is a group of teams who compete against each other for a championship.-League system:In sports using a league system , a division consists a group of teams who play a sport at a similar competitive level...

is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958
1958 in sports
1958 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – December 28 the Baltimore Colts won 23-17 over the New York Giants in overtime. The game is later called the "Greatest game ever played"....

, the East Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.

Pre-1907

The first organized football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...

 club in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 was the Hamilton Foot Ball Club, a predecessor of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...

, in 1868
1868 in sports
-Baseball:National championship* National Association of Base Ball Players champion – New York MutualsEvents* A few clubs count base hits and total bases on hits for every player, beside the commonplace "official scoring" of runs and times put out * In December the National Association permits full...

. This was followed by the formation of the Montreal Foot Ball Club in 1872
1872 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events* Five teams compete in the 1872 college football season: , , , and .-Association football:England...

, the Toronto Argonaut Football Club
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

 in 1873
1873 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton TigersEvents* 19 October — representatives of Yale Bulldogs, Columbia Lions, Princeton Tigers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights meet at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of...

 and the Ottawa Football Club (the future Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

) in 1876
1876 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale BulldogsEvents* 23 November — representatives of Harvard Crimson, Yale Bulldogs, Princeton Tigers and Columbia Lions meet at the Massasoit House in Springfield, Massachusetts to standardise a new code of rules...

.

The first organized competitions were formed in 1883
1883 in sports
1883 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale BulldogsEvents...

, when the Ontario Rugby Football Union
Ontario Rugby Football Union
The Ontario Rugby Football Union or ORFU was an early amateur Canadian football league with teams in the Canadian province of Ontario. The ORFU was founded in 1883 and in 1903 became the first major competition to adopt the Burnside Rules, from which the modern Canadian football code would...

 and the Quebec Rugby Football Union
Quebec Rugby Football Union
The Quebec Rugby Football Union was a football league consisting of teams from Quebec and formed in 1883. Eastern Ontario teams like Ottawa City and Ottawa College joined in 1894.- League Formation and Play :...

 were founded. At the time the sport was generally called rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

or rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

because its rules were similar to rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

's, although this would change drastically in the coming decades. The following year
1884 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events* Amos Alonzo Stagg enters Yale University as a divinity student and, a natural athlete, joins the university's football team.-Association football:England* FA Cup final –...

, the two provincial unions would form the Canadian Rugby Football Union
Football Canada
Football Canada is the governing body for amateur Canadian football. It is Canada's representative member of the International Federation of American Football , the world's governing body for American football.-History:...

, with Montreal winning the first national championship later that year. The CRFU collapsed before the decade was out, but was re-organized as the Canadian Rugby Union in 1891
1891 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale BulldogsEvents* Kansas defeats Missouri in the first Border War game 22-10 beginning one of the oldest and most fierce college football rivalries....

, with Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...

 winning the first CRU championship the following year
1892 in sports
1892 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale BulldogsEvents...

.

The turn of the century was marked by fundamental changes in the rules of the game. The ORFU
Orfu
Orfű is a village in Baranya county, Hungary. The settlement is a well-known pleasure resort.- External links :* *...

 was the first competition to adopt the Burnside Rules
Burnside Rules
The Burnside rules were a set of rules that transformed Canadian football from a rugby-style game to the gridiron-style game it has remained ever since...

, which were to revolutionize the Canadian game. The QRFU and CRU initially resisted the changes, but by 1906
1906 in sports
1906 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events...

 the Burnside Rules were in force throughout Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

 and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

. Although substantial changes (such as forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...

ing) were still to come, modern Canadian football would ultimately evolve from John Thrift Meldrum Burnside's code.

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (1907–1959)

In 1907
1907 in sports
1907 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale Bulldogs-Association football:England...

, the Hamilton Tigers
Hamilton Tigers (football)
The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

 and Toronto Argonauts of the ORFU joined with the QRFU's Montreal Foot Ball Club and Ottawa Rough Riders (Ottawa had been moving back and forth between the two unions over the past few years) to form an elite competition, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union. The new competition was soon dubbed the Big Four. Montreal won the first championship. In 1909
1909 in sports
1909 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale Bulldogs-Association football:England...

 Lord Earl Grey
Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey
Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey was a British nobleman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the ninth since Canadian Confederation....

, the Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...

, donated a trophy to be awarded to the CRU champion. The trophy, which became known as the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...

, would not be won by an IRFU club until the Hamilton Tigers captured the trophy in 1913
1913 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Auburn Tigers, Chicago Maroons and Harvard Crimson -Association football:England...

. Following the 1915
1915 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Cornell Big Red, Oklahoma Sooners and Pittsburgh Panthers -Association football:England...

 season, the competition was suspended because of the First World War, and would not fully resume until 1920
1920 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* 17 September — the National Football League is founded as the American Professional Football Association at Canton, Ohio; it is a coalition of teams primarily from the Ohio League, New York Pro Football League, the Chicago football circuit, and other teams in...

.

From 1925
1925 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* Chicago Cardinals win a controversial National Football League title.* Five new teams join the NFL: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Providence Steam Roller, a new Canton Bulldogs team and the Pottsville Maroons....

 until 1953
1953 in sports
1953 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Detroit Lions won 17–16 over the Cleveland Browns-England:* First Division – Arsenal win the 1952–53 title....

, IRFU teams would dominate Canadian football, winning 18 of the 26 Grey Cups its clubs contested in that timespan (the IRFU suspended operations from 1942
1942 in sports
1942 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:...

 through 1944
1944 in sports
1944 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:* Green Bay Packers defeats 14-7 New York Giants in New York City for the NFL title...

 because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

). During this period, the calibre of play in the IRFU was recognized as being on par with any league in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. The Big Four attracted considerable interest in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and even had its games televised
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 by the National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 for a time during the 1950s (in fact, these games were more widely available than their NFL counterparts). This interest would eventually decline as the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 gained prominence and the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...

 rose in popularity.

By the mid-1950s, it was clear that the IRFU was a far higher calibre competition than the ORFU (the Quebec union had faded from the scene in the early part of the century). Moreover, the Western Interprovincial Football Union had been gaining strength and would prove capable of winning the Grey Cup on a regular basis during this decade. Following the 1954
1954 in sports
1954 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 56-10 over the Detroit Lions* Ohio State Buckeyes - college football champions.-Artistic gymnastics:* 1954 World Championships...

 season, the ORFU finally stopped challenging for the Grey Cup, thus making the game a contest between the champions of the IRFU in the East and the WIFU in the West. This marks the start of the modern era of Canadian football.

In 1956
1956 in sports
1956's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* The men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Toni Sailer, Austria** Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria** Giant Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria* The women's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Madeleine Berthod, Switzerland...

, the IRFU and WIFU agreed to form the Canadian Football Council. In 1958
1958 in sports
1958 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – December 28 the Baltimore Colts won 23-17 over the New York Giants in overtime. The game is later called the "Greatest game ever played"....

, the CFC withdrew from the CRU and re-named itself the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

.

IRFU Champions
  • 1907 Montreal Football Club
    Montreal Football Club
    The Montreal Football Club was a Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec that played in the Quebec Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1915. The club was a founding member of the QRFU and played in the first football game in...

  • 1908 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1909 Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1910 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1911 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1912 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1913 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1914 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1915 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1916 World War I
    World War I
    World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

  • 1917 World War I
    World War I
    World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

  • 1918 World War I
    World War I
    World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

  • 1919 Montreal Football Club
    Montreal Football Club
    The Montreal Football Club was a Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec that played in the Quebec Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1915. The club was a founding member of the QRFU and played in the first football game in...

  • 1920 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1921 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1922 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1923 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1924 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1925 Ottawa Senators
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1926 Ottawa Senators
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1927 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1928 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1929 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1930 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1931 Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers
    Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers
    The Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers were a member of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League. It was likely a team from the fabled Montreal AAA founded in 1872 as the Montreal Foot Ball Club. The MFBC joined the Quebec Rugby Football Union in...

  • 1932 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1933 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1934 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1935 Hamilton Tigers
    Hamilton Tigers (football)
    The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in...

  • 1936 Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1937 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1938 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1939 Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1940 Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1941 Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1942 World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

  • 1943 World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

  • 1944 World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

  • 1945 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1946 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1947 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1948 Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1949 Montreal Alouettes
    Montreal Alouettes
    The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...

  • 1950 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1951 Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

  • 1952 Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • 1953 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...

  • 1954 Montreal Alouettes
    Montreal Alouettes
    The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...

  • 1955 Montreal Alouettes
    Montreal Alouettes
    The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...

  • 1956 Montreal Alouettes
    Montreal Alouettes
    The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...

  • 1957 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...

  • 1958 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...

  • 1959 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...


Eastern Football Conference (1960-1980)

The IRFU changed its name to the Eastern Football Conference in 1960
1960 in sports
1960 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* The men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France** Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria** Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland** The women's Olympic Gold Medal:...

. In 1961
1961 in sports
1961 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* AFL Championship – Houston Oilers won 10-3 over the San Diego Chargers* NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 37-0 over the New York Giants...

, the EFC agreed to a partial interlocking schedule with what was known by then as the Western Football Conference
Canadian Football League West Division
The West Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the West Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.-Pre-1936:...

. Although the EFC was part of the CFL, its merger with the WFC was only a partial merger for the next two decades. During this time, the conferences maintained considerable autonomy - for example, the East had a different playoff format until 1973
1973 in sports
1973 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:* O.J...

 and a shorter schedule until 1974
1974 in sports
1974 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Piero Gros, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:...

. During this time, attendances increased substantially for most clubs and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 revenue gained prominence and importance. By the 1980s, however, some EFC clubs were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....

, and the CFL decided to proceed with a complete merger of the two regional conferences.

East Division (1980-1994, 1996-present)

In 1980
1980 in sports
1980 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Andreas Wenzel, Liechtenstein** Women's overall season champion: Hanni Wenzel, Liechtenstein...

, the CFL's two conferences agreed to a full merger and a full interlocking schedule. Although the EFC has carried on since that time as the CFL's East Division, full authority is now vested within the CFL. The decision to create a full interlocking schedule meant that the teams were playing fewer divisional games, consequently the league decided add two extra divisional games per team, thus extending the schedule to 18 games per team starting in 1986
1986 in sports
1986 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup –** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland-American football:...

.

The East Division has undergone major changes since the dissolution of the EFC. Following the 1981
1981 in sports
1981 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup –** Men's overall season champion: Phil Mahre, USA** Women's overall season champion: Marie-Theres Nadig, Switzerland-American football:...

 season the Montreal Alouettes folded. An expansion franchise called the Montreal Concordes commenced play in 1982
1982 in sports
1982 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Phil Mahre, United States** Women's overall season champion: Erika Hess, Switzerland-American football:...

 and eventually became the "new" Alouettes, but this franchise folded in 1987
1987 in sports
1987 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland** Women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland-American football:...

. Consequently, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...

 were transferred from the West Division
Canadian Football League West Division
The West Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the West Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.-Pre-1936:...

 to the East Division to keep the divisions equal in size. This led to the first "all-Western" Grey Cup in 1988
1988 in sports
1988 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland** Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland-American football:...

 when the Blue Bombers won the East Division championship for the first time.

In 1994
1993 in sports
1993 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Anita Wachter, Austria-American football:...

, the CFL decided to add more teams in the United States. This led to the addition of the two American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

-based teams in the East, Shreveport Pirates
Shreveport Pirates
The Shreveport Pirates were a Canadian Football League team, playing at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, in 1994 and 1995....

 and a team in Baltimore that would eventually be called the Stallions
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...

 after the NFL successfully prevented the team from using the name "Colts". Baltimore would go on to win the East Division championship in 1994. For the 1995
1995 in sports
1995 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Alberto Tomba, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland-American football:...

 season, all eight Canadian teams competed in the North Division.

Prior to the 1996
1996 in sports
1996 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany-American football:...

 season however, all of the American clubs disbanded, with one (the Baltimore Stallions) returning to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

. The pre-1987 divisional alignment was restored, only to see Winnipeg return to the East after one season when the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

 folded. The Blue Bombers returned to the West in 2002
2002 in sports
2002 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria-American football:...

 after the Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...

 commenced play in the nation's capital. With the suspension of the Renegades in 2006
2006 in sports
2006 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 2, Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 34-20 Notre Dame* January 2, Sugar Bowl – West Virginia 38-35 Georgia...

, the Blue Bombers again were transferred to the East Division.

Grey Cup record

Prior to 1954, Eastern clubs dominated the Grey Cup games. Since 1954 however, the West has generally been on an equal footing and in recent decades has often dominated the East in the regular season. Since 1954 the East has won 25 Grey Cups and lost 31. This is not counting the 1995 season. It should also be noted that two of the East's Grey Cup wins were by the Blue Bombers, who have played in the West for most of their history.

Playoff format

Since 1955
1955 in sports
-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns won 38-14 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners - college football champions.-England:* First Division - Chelsea win the 1954-55 title.* FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Manchester City 3-1....

, three teams have competed in the Eastern playoffs in most seasons. Only the top two teams qualified for the post-season in 1985
1985 in sports
1985 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland-American football:...

 when an earlier form of the cross-over rule was in force, while four teams qualified in 1994 when there were six teams. In 1997
1997 in sports
1997 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France** Women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden-American football:...

, the present cross-over rule was implemented, allowing the fourth place team from one division to take the play-off place of the third place team in the other division, should the fourth place team earn a better record. Since 1997, the fourth place team in the West has taken advantage of the cross-over rule five times, but not until 2008 did a Western team (Edmonton
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...

) advance to the Eastern Final. As of 2010
2010 in sports
2010 in sports will describe the year's events in world sport.-January:* Alabama defeats Texas 37–21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, thereby claiming the 2009 National Championship in College Football....

, no team from the East has crossed over into the Western playoffs.

Current teams

  • Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

     (formed 1873, joined 1907);
  • Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...

     (Hamilton Tigers formed in 1869, joined in 1907, left for ORFU in 1947; Hamilton Wildcats joined from ORFU 1947; both clubs merged together in 1950 as Tiger-Cats);
  • Montreal Alouettes
    Montreal Alouettes
    The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...

     (Montreal Football Club formed in 1872, joined in 1907; reformed as Alouettes in 1946; replaced by Montreal Concordes in 1982, disbanded in 1987; rejoined from Baltimore Stallions in 1996);
  • Winnipeg Blue Bombers
    Winnipeg Blue Bombers
    The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...

     (formed in 1930 in the Western Canada Rugby Union; joined in 1987 to replace Alouettes until 1994; rejoined in 1997 to replace Rough Riders until 2002; rejoined to replace Renegades in 2006)

Former teams

  • Ottawa Rough Riders
    Ottawa Rough Riders
    The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

     (formed in 1873, joined in 1907, disbanded in 1996)
  • Baltimore Stallions
    Baltimore Stallions
    The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...

     (formed in 1994, played in South Division in 1995; relocated to Montreal in 1996)
  • Shreveport Pirates
    Shreveport Pirates
    The Shreveport Pirates were a Canadian Football League team, playing at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, in 1994 and 1995....

     (formed in 1994, played in South Division in 1995; disbanded)
  • Ottawa Renegades
    Ottawa Renegades
    Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...

     (formed in 2002; presently suspended as of 2006; temporarily scheduled to return in 2013
    Ottawa CFL
    The Ottawa Canadian Football League team is an unnamed conditional CFL franchise that has been awarded in the city of Ottawa. On March 25, 2008, an ownership group led by Ottawa 67's owner Jeff Hunt was awarded the franchise. The team is expected to play at Frank Clair Stadium if the stadium can be...

    at the earliest)

External links

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