Fear not this will not be an NSync sing a long. It’s, “Just Gonna Be Me,” looking into the Canadian Football League’s 2024 byes.
Let’s go back in time to Thursday night in Toronto where, following the Saskatchewan Roughriders 20-19 loss to the Argonauts, the Green and White closed out their pre-Labour Day schedule.
The Riders finished the 11-game span with a 5-5-1 record which was good for first place in the ultra-tight West division, where five points separate first and fifth.
The most grueling portion of that 11-game stretch was a just completed six game schedule played over 34 days and 8,000km with stops in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Also unique to those three road games was that each of the Alouettes, RedBLACKS and Argonauts entered those games following a bye week. “This I Promise You,” was no small task!
Before we start jumping up and down screaming at Canadian Football League Schedule makers lets break down the nine teams’ schedules when it comes to bye weeks:
First, we go all the way back to the start where each team in the CFL’s 22-week regular season gets three bye weeks.
The Roughrider’s bye weeks in 2024 are; Week 4, Week 15 and Week 20. Coming off those weeks the Riders topped Toronto 30-23 and will play Calgary after both of their remaining byes in weeks 15 and 20.
Conversely the Riders have already faced three teams coming off a bye week, and finished with a record of 1-1-1, and won’t face any other extra-rested teams for the remainder of the season. The Riders played, Montreal to a 20-16 loss, Ottawa to a 22-22 tie and capped it off with a 20-19 loss in Toronto, last week.
So where do the Riders fit in, when it comes to playing teams coming off bye weeks? The Riders are in the middle of the pack in their schedule with three teams playing them coming off bye weeks (all of which have already happened). Conversely Winnipeg plays against a team coming off a bye week a league leading six times this season. B.C., Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa all play three teams coming off their break. Montreal and Edmonton play rested teams twice while Hamilton only plays an opponent coming off a bye week once this season.
So, before you go, “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” or the schedule in this instance. We must keep in mind that there are an uneven number of teams in the league and completely balancing a schedule and ensuring optimal competitive balance will never be perfect. Especially, when you need to consider stadium availability, television scheduling and juggling byes.
While the 10 days between last Thursday’s game in Toronto and the 59th Labour Day Classic on Sunday doesn’t equate to a bye week on the schedule for the Green and White, “This I Promise You,” will definitely feel like one for the Roughriders.
