Players eligible for ’21 CFL draft will have ability to opt out and go to 2022 event

The 2021 CFL draft will feature a number of different looks.

The CFL announced Thursday the draft will be reduced from eight to six rounds and that eligible players will have the right to opt out in favour of the 2022 event. Both the CFL and U Sports cancelled their 2020 football seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 CFL draft order will be determined by a random draw rather than win-loss records. It will also feature a “snake” format so a team that picks ninth overall to complete the first round will then pick first to begin the second.

That format will carry on through the entire draft. There will also be no territorial selections made.

“These changes have the support of our clubs,” Greg Dick, the CFL’s head of football operations, said in a statement. “We’re confident they will ensure fairness while giving a group of excellent and promising Canadian athletes a path to pursue their CFL dreams.”

The date for the 2021 draft has yet to be determined.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2020.