Professional football in Canada
Only one professional football league has a permanent presence in Canada: the Canadian Football League (CFL), an organization founded in 1958 to accommodate the ongoing trend of professionalism in the Canadian football ranks since the 1940s. The CFL, like most amateur Canadian football leagues, plays on a larger field using a rulebook with several significant rule differences compared to the game as it is played in the United States. The league is composed of two divisions and nine teams in most of the largest Canadian markets, with at least one team in each province between British Columbia (BC Lions) and Quebec (Montreal Alouettes) inclusive. The only presence in Atlantic Canada is a semi-regular series of games in Moncton (Touchdown Atlantic) and a smattering of earlier preseason contests. The CFL operates a two-week preseason beginning in June, an 18-game season from July to October, and a six-team playoff tournament, culminating in the Grey Cup on the fourth weekend of November.
List of American and Canadian football leagues
The Rivals Professional Football League was founded by Quentin Hines in 2012. A Toledo team was considered for the initial set of teams, but could not come to term to lease the Glass Bowl with University of Toledo. The league expect attempt to get a team there for season two in 2015. As of February 2014, Hines had announced his league with five teams, Akron Blaze, Chicago Kings, Detroit Cougars, Indianapolis Racers and Southern Michigan Mustangs. At the time, Hines indicated that he was sole owner and would continue as such first the league's first stage before selling franchises.