Accredited Edmonton Oilers reporter and PHWA member reporting on the latest sports news in the Alberta capital.

<p>BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke is not happy with the <a href="https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/canadian-football-league-makes-multiple-nfl-style-rule-changes" target="_blank">newly announced changes coming to the CFL</a> over the next couple of seasons.</p>
<p>On Monday, CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston revealed multiple changes to the Canadian game that will align it more closely with the NFL. Among the changes will be shrinking the field from 110 yards to 100 yards, end zones decreasing from 20 yards to 15 yards, and the play clock increasing from 20 seconds to 35 seconds, which will reset automatically, similar to the NFL.</p>
<p>The changes have proved to be a bit controversial, and <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/2025/09/22/rourke-calls-new-cfl-changes-garbage-says-players-coaches-werent-consulted/" target="_blank">Rourke did not mince words</a> when asked about them on Monday.</p>
<p>&#8220;New rule changes are garbage,&#8221; Rourke said. &#8220;These are the things that are unique about the [Canadian] game that make it different, and the rule changes to me make it sound like we want to be [the NFL].</p>
<p>&#8220;The CFL game has existed for longer than the NFL, and there&#8217;s a reason for that. It&#8217;s unique, the fans love it&#8230; and they&#8217;re changing that.&#8221;</p>
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The changes have caused quite a stir among CFL fans, who are worried that the league is focusing too much on trying to mimic its American counterpart. Rourke, as one of the league&#8217;s premier players, appears to be in that camp.</p>
<p>He went on to question exactly how the league decided on these changes and who was consulted when making the decision.</p>
<p>&#8220;The people who play football, who have the football knowledge, were not consulted,&#8221; Rourke said. &#8220;Players weren&#8217;t consulted, coaches, management, nobody was consulted. This was done on their own accord.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have a commissioner who hasn&#8217;t been here for a year who is already trying to change the game&#8230; You cannot make adjustments like this and tell me you like football.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rourke has experience switching from the CFL to the NFL. Over the years, the 27-year-old has flipped between the Lions and several NFL teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons.</p>
<p>The Victoria, B.C., native never appeared in a regular-season NFL game.</p>
<p>&#8220;I went down and played in the NFL in that league, and I came back knowing that this is the game for me,&#8221; Rourke said. &#8220;We&#8217;re getting away from that, and that frankly makes me pretty pissed off.</p>
<p>&#8220;The only thing I think was positive was moving the teams to separate sidelines.&#8221;</p>
<p>The changes are sure to remain controversial to those wanting to preserve the uniqueness of the Canadian game, but we&#8217;ll get a better idea of what this looks like once the 2026 season rolls around.</p>
<p class="p1"><ul class="article-see-also"><strong>You might also like:</strong><li><a href='https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/canadian-football-league-makes-multiple-nfl-style-rule-changes' target='_blank'>CFL makes multiple NFL-style changes to the Canadian game</a></li><li><a href='https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/buffalo-bills-wont-rule-out-nfl-games-canada' target='_blank'>Buffalo Bills won't rule out playing more NFL games in Canada</a></li><li><a href='https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/taylor-swift-super-bowl-halftime-show-2' target='_blank'>Taylor Swift might actually perform Super Bowl halftime show</a></li></ul></p>


Vancouver

BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke is not happy with the newly announced changes coming to the CFL over the next couple of seasons. 