CPL Season Schedule

[CDNFootballer]

21 hours ago, coppercanuck said:

Q: What's more of an attendance killer? 1) mid-week game in Jul/Aug or 2) Apr-13 / Oct-19 in Edmonton

Just to throw this in the mix, FC Edmonton averaged 3408 last year in NASL. They had 2 games in April drawing just about 3300 and 3600. The last match of the NASL season for Edmonton on October 21 drew just shy of 4000.

 

Even though, I think FCE should start and finish on the road and mid-week games for CPL avoided at all costs as much as possible.

 

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

I am not sure a team is going to fly from Nova Scotia to BC for a game and then fly back, just to preserve the "only weekends" principle of an ideal world. The cost of travel is high enough as it is in Canada, though I suppose staying out and hotels are too. Still, I think we are going to see teams playing a game in Nova Scotia and another in Ottawa in the course of 4 days. I know it is not ideal, but likely they will limit this, so that no team has to play more than X times midweek. 

I think the schedule has to include a first round of the Voyageurs Cup that is home and away. You can't pretend to do a pure draw and end up denying new fans the chance to see a V-Cup game, maybe even for a couple of years straight if the draw goes that way. It is not something expedient, a national Cup. One of the big draws of CPL is matching wits vs. MLS clubs too, say second round TFC arrive in Halifax. That is a big motivation, and of course, eventually we'll see an upset that will make for a good storyline.

[Kent]

23 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I am not sure a team is going to fly from Nova Scotia to BC for a game and then fly back, just to preserve the "only weekends" principle of an ideal world. The cost of travel is high enough as it is in Canada, though I suppose staying out and hotels are too. Still, I think we are going to see teams playing a game in Nova Scotia and another in Ottawa in the course of 4 days. I know it is not ideal, but likely they will limit this, so that no team has to play more than X times midweek. 

I think the schedule has to include a first round of the Voyageurs Cup that is home and away. You can't pretend to do a pure draw and end up denying new fans the chance to see a V-Cup game, maybe even for a couple of years straight if the draw goes that way. It is not something expedient, a national Cup. One of the big draws of CPL is matching wits vs. MLS clubs too, say second round TFC arrive in Halifax. That is a big motivation, and of course, eventually we'll see an upset that will make for a good storyline.

Good point about a fan base potentially not getting to see a Voyageurs Cup game for years. That is a negative to the single knockout system I hadn’t thought of.

[Red and White]

14 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I am not sure a team is going to fly from Nova Scotia to BC for a game and then fly back, just to preserve the "only weekends" principle of an ideal world. The cost of travel is high enough as it is in Canada, though I suppose staying out and hotels are too. Still, I think we are going to see teams playing a game in Nova Scotia and another in Ottawa in the course of 4 days. I know it is not ideal, but likely they will limit this, so that no team has to play more than X times midweek.

It almost has to be like this for a single table Canadian league with equal east and west teams and a balanced schedule. If every team has 2 away games against the rest of the league, lots of travel can be saved by bundling the long away fixtures. Every team could have a couple of three week road trips to cover the other side of the country (Three weekends and one midweek). Edmonton could play Halifax on a weekend, then Ottawa four days later, then York 9 and Hamilton on consecutive weekends. Same with an eastern team in reverse (ex Ottawa plays Edmonton on a weekend, Calgary midweek, then Winnipeg and Port City).

If two of these trips are done per team each year, it saves a ton on travel and preserves a single table with only two midweek games per club.

[Unnamed Trialist]

14 minutes ago, Red and White said:

It almost has to be like this for a single table Canadian league with equal east and west teams and a balanced schedule. If every team has 2 away games against the rest of the league, lots of travel can be saved by bundling the long away fixtures. Every team could have a couple of three week road trips to cover the other side of the country (Three weekends and one midweek). Edmonton could play Halifax on a weekend, then Ottawa four days later, then York 9 and Hamilton on consecutive weekends. Same with an eastern team in reverse (ex Ottawa plays Edmonton on a weekend, Calgary midweek, then Winnipeg and Port City).

If two of these trips are done per team each year, it saves a ton on travel and preserves a single table with only two midweek games per club.

I personally think it is not the best idea to have that long road trips, for a number of reasons. First, there is also a cost to having an entire squad in hotels, and looking for training facilities, paying for them, etc. So the trip has to be paid off properly, but not to the point where you lose the real advantage and only think about money. 

If you have only 14 away trips, to take that down to 12 is a saving, not fully 1/7, 14%, because you still have shorter hops, but maybe a 10% travel saving. Or 11 road trips, again, you may save another 5%. That seems reasonable.

The other reason is very important, which is that in most leagues you play at home once every two weeks, and fans are into the schedule and wait no longer than 2 or sometimes three weeks for a home match. You can kill home momentum by having too long a break, and on the other hand, you can burn out if you play too many in a row at home. MLS handles this poorly, it is one of the big errors in their scheduling, fans waiting for many weeks to see their teams, and unbalanced schedules to boot. 

[mpg_29]

38 minutes ago, Red and White said:

It almost has to be like this for a single table Canadian league with equal east and west teams and a balanced schedule. If every team has 2 away games against the rest of the league, lots of travel can be saved by bundling the long away fixtures. Every team could have a couple of three week road trips to cover the other side of the country (Three weekends and one midweek). Edmonton could play Halifax on a weekend, then Ottawa four days later, then York 9 and Hamilton on consecutive weekends. Same with an eastern team in reverse (ex Ottawa plays Edmonton on a weekend, Calgary midweek, then Winnipeg and Port City).

If two of these trips are done per team each year, it saves a ton on travel and preserves a single table with only two midweek games per club.

I could see a road trip consisting of two weekends with a mid-week in between (ie one week). ie play team on Saturday, Wednesday and then Sat/Sun. That would probably be most realistic.

With the rise of some of these discount airlines in Canada (which if you look at operate in a lot of the CPL cities) it could reduce flight costs to the equivalent as 3 nights in hotel/food. So going 2 weeks on the road to get that fourth game in might not even be as advantageous financially as one would think.

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

I think the main way to lower travel costs is to take busses to close games. For example, Ottawa to York is a feasible road trip. Edmonton to Calgary, sask to Edmonton/Calgary, Winnipeg to sask, Ottawa to Quebec City/Montreal. Even perhaps York to Quebec City and Halifax to Quebec City is possible if needed.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

1 minute ago, BenFisk'sBiggestFan said:

....For example, Ottawa to York is a feasible road trip....

Having waited for what seemed like a couple of hours for an original CSL game between the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra to kick off because the Supra's bus broke down on the 401 on their way from Montreal, it's worth emphasizing that this definitely shouldn't be happening on the day of the game. Think the Fury already go by bus to away games in the USL quite a long way down into the United States, so York would probably be viewed as well within range that way.

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

1 hour ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Having waited for what seemed like a couple of hours for an original CSL game between the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra to kick off because the Supra's bus broke down on the 401 on their way from Montreal, it's worth emphasizing that this definitely shouldn't be happening on the day of the game. Think the Fury already go by bus to away games in the USL quite a long way down into the United States, so York would probably be viewed as well within range that way.

Ya, for sure. The travel should not be game day.

[IAmPappy]

Silly question: With an 8-team league, 4 teams will be on the road each week. Isn’t it cheaper for the league to charter two 30-seat jets?

 

[coppercanuck]

Ottawa doesn't even travel to Windsor in L1O.  They meet in Toronto.  Granted this year is a bit different with the single round robin schedule.

Travel is the real issue for this league.  I like the one week, 3 game road trip, only if it's coordinated with others.  Nothing worse than getting to that last game and you opponent has been sitting all week.  My big hope is that the league operates in 'rounds' similar to some other leagues.  It balances out the work/rest periods.  The NFL is stretching it going Thursday to Monday.

I believe that some smart scheduling will maximize the travel dollar without killing the product on the field.

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

4 hours ago, coppercanuck said:

Ottawa doesn't even travel to Windsor in L1O.  They meet in Toronto.  Granted this year is a bit different with the single round robin schedule.

Travel is the real issue for this league.  I like the one week, 3 game road trip, only if it's coordinated with others.  Nothing worse than getting to that last game and you opponent has been sitting all week.  My big hope is that the league operates in 'rounds' similar to some other leagues.  It balances out the work/rest periods.  The NFL is stretching it going Thursday to Monday.

I believe that some smart scheduling will maximize the travel dollar without killing the product on the field.

Travel sponsors would be extremely helpful in Canada. Official hotels, official airlines, stuff like that. If they can lessen the cost of travel it would make a big difference.

[Tigers]

3 hours ago, BenFisk'sBiggestFan said:

Travel sponsors would be extremely helpful in Canada. Official hotels, official airlines, stuff like that. If they can lessen the cost of travel it would make a big difference.

That's what the Toronto Wolfpack have with Air Transat.  That's gotta be a huge part of how they're making that work.

[Kent]

4 hours ago, Tigers said:

That's what the Toronto Wolfpack have with Air Transat.  That's gotta be a huge part of how they're making that work.

They are also using 18 game road trips.

[BradMack]

The Patriots actually bought two 767's last year and it only cost about $10mil for the pair according to NY Daily News. Imagine a situation where the CPL teams pool together and buy 3 smaller jets (soccer requires less people) if they can get a similar deal. With 3 jets and some decent scheduling (a game per week where one team can travel by train or bus) it would possible end up saving you money, and would be sort of a middle finger to MLS. You can also make some money back on these planes by renting them out when not in use (5 months of the year). I know this is not going to happen, but it would be hilarious if it did. 

[SuperCanuck]

4 hours ago, Kent said:

They are also using 18 game road trips.

They're only doing that this year because it apparently takes a couple of months to unroll a carpet and tack it down at Lamport.  Their longest away trip last season was five games.

[IAmPappy]

6 hours ago, BradMack said:

The Patriots actually bought two 767's last year and it only cost about $10mil for the pair according to NY Daily News. Imagine a situation where the CPL teams pool together and buy 3 smaller jets (soccer requires less people) if they can get a similar deal. With 3 jets and some decent scheduling (a game per week where one team can travel by train or bus) it would possible end up saving you money, and would be sort of a middle finger to MLS. You can also make some money back on these planes by renting them out when not in use (5 months of the year). I know this is not going to happen, but it would be hilarious if it did. 

Why not? If the economics work, it’s the only way to go. I was actually thinking that, rather than owning jets, the CPL could commit to a full-year charter deal. I’m not a fan of the single-entity model, but all this back-office logistics (including hotels, websites, ticketing, etc) should be centralized for economies of scale.

[Impactsupporter]

If the CPL gets to 16 teams,  why not use a combination of Apertura and Clausura as they do in South America and minor premiers as they do in Australia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_premiership

To clarify:

Between July to Oct, the 16 CPL teams play the opening season as a single round robin tournament. After 15 games, the team at the top of the table wins the Minor Premiership.

From April to May or June, the closing season based on the standings of the Minor Premiership, the teams are split into a top8/bottom 8 single round robin tournament.  the top 8 play for the Grand Premeirship and the bottom 8 play for a devisional title.  

As well in the closing season the CPL teams join with the provincial league winners and the MLS teams for the Voyageurs Cup with regional playdowns leading to the East West final.

Just a thought.

 

[Kent]

1 hour ago, Impactsupporter said:

If the CPL gets to 16 teams,  why not use a combination of Apertura and Clausura as they do in South America and minor premiers as they do in Australia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_premiership

To clarify:

Between July to Oct, the 16 CPL teams play the opening season as a single round robin tournament. After 15 games, the team at the top of the table wins the Minor Premiership.

From April to May or June, the closing season based on the standings of the Minor Premiership, the teams are split into a top8/bottom 8 single round robin tournament.  the top 8 play for the Grand Premeirship and the bottom 8 play for a devisional title.  

As well in the closing season the CPL teams join with the provincial league winners and the MLS teams for the Voyageurs Cup with regional playdowns leading to the East West final.

Just a thought.

I don't actually follow any leagues that use the Apertura/Clausura system, but do they do it that way? Specifically, the important one, followed by the less important one, followed by a sizeable gap? Seems backwards to me.

[BuzzAndSting]

I don’t understand the fascination with a split schedule. It’s successful in countries where it is traditional but for a league that is just launching and trying to attract a broad audience it makes no sense. Imagine trying to explain that to a casual soccer fan, what do you say when the inevitable is raised, why? 

[mpg_29]

We only have a 6 month window to play soccer in this country. Split schedule makes no sense.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

4 hours ago, mpg_29 said:

We only have a 6 month window to play soccer in this country. Split schedule makes no sense.

Same is true in Russia and they are doing a split season scheduled either side of a long winter break to align with the other top European leagues and to finish seasons off before the World Cup and European Championship. Think what makes that a non-starter for soccer in a Canadian context is that you wind up trying to compete for attention with the Stanley Cup playoffs when the champion is being determined.

[ThatDaveCh]

That number of fixtures confirms an 8 team launch. The CCL thing is still being worked on, but would mean a second Canadian CCL spot.

[Zem]

8 minutes ago, ThatDaveCh said:

That number of fixtures confirms an 8 team launch. The CCL thing is still being worked on, but would mean a second Canadian CCL spot.

Clanachan went on to specify that the exact number of fixtures would depend on the number of clubs at launch, so 8-10 is still the official word.

[Gopherbashi]

8 hours ago, BuzzAndSting said:

I don’t understand the fascination with a split schedule. It’s successful in countries where it is traditional but for a league that is just launching and trying to attract a broad audience it makes no sense. Imagine trying to explain that to a casual soccer fan, what do you say when the inevitable is raised, why?