CFL Playoff Picture 2026

CFL playoff picture for 2026, updated September 17. In the West Division the Edmonton Elks hold the No. 1 seed at 10-3 and the BC Lions have the last spot at 7-6. In the East Division the Montreal Alouettes hold the No. 1 seed at 10-3 and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the last spot at 4-9.

West DivisionEast DivisionBoth

West Division Playoff Picture

In the playoffs (seeds 1-3)
1Edmonton ElksWest Division leader10-3@ TOR Sat
2Saskatchewan RoughridersWest Division8-5@ BCL Fri
3BC LionsWest Division7-6vs SAS Fri

West Division clinch watch

EdmontonNo. 1 · 10-3 · +3 gamesMagic number3SaskatchewanNo. 2 · 8-5 · +1 gamesMagic number5BCNo. 3 · 7-6Magic number6WinnipegNo. 4 · 7-6Elimination number6CalgaryNo. 5 · 5-8 · 2 gamesElimination number4

Magic number = any combination of this team’s wins and the first team out’s losses that locks up the spot. Elimination number = losses this team can still afford before it is out. Shown once a number is 30 or under.

In the hunt
–Winnipeg Blue BombersWest Division7-6vs TOR Fri
–Calgary StampedersWest Division · 2 GB5-8vs OTT Sat

Top three in each division qualify; first place gets a bye to the Division Final. The crossover (a fourth-place team with more points than the other division’s third) is noted in the FAQ but not drawn here. GB = games behind third place. Tags: x clinched playoff, z clinched first place, e eliminated (wins-only maths). Arrows = movement since the last games.

If the Playoffs Started Today

West Division playoffs

1Edmonton Elks logoEdmonton10-3Bye to the Division Final
Division Semi-Final
3BC Lions logoBC7-6@2Saskatchewan Roughriders logoSaskatchewan8-5
Division Final: semi-final winner @ first place; the winner goes to the Grey Cup

East Division playoffs

1Montreal Alouettes logoMontréal10-3Bye to the Division Final
Division Semi-Final
3Hamilton Tiger-Cats logoHamilton4-9@2Toronto Argonauts logoToronto7-6
Division Final: semi-final winner @ first place; the winner goes to the Grey Cup

Higher seed hosts every playoff game. Matchups update automatically after every game.

Games That Matter This Week

Montreal Alouettes logoMontréal10-3 · East Division No. 1@Fri, Sep 187:30 PM EDTHamilton Tiger-Cats logoHamilton4-9 · East Division No. 3
Edmonton Elks logoEdmonton10-3 · West Division No. 1@Sat, Sep 193:00 PM EDTToronto Argonauts logoToronto7-6 · East Division No. 2
Ottawa Redblacks logoOttawa0-12 · East Division No. 4@Sat, Sep 197:00 PM EDTCalgary Stampeders logoCalgary5-8 · West Division No. 5

Upcoming games involving teams within reach of the cutoff (seeds 1-3 and the next four in the hunt).

Biggest Movers

No seed changes since the last games.

⚖️ How CFL tiebreakers work →

Share this page

Playoff picture FAQ

How many teams make the CFL playoffs?

Six: the top three in the West and the top three in the East. A fourth-place team can cross over if it has more points than the other division's third-place team.

How does the CFL playoff bracket work?

In each division second place hosts third in the Division Semi-Final, and the winner visits the first-place team in the Division Final. The two division champions meet in the Grey Cup.

What is the crossover rule?

If the fourth-place team in one division finishes with more points than the third-place team in the other, it takes that playoff spot and plays in the other division. Ties on points do not cross over.

What does "in the hunt" mean?

Teams outside the top three but within about two games of third place.

What do the x, z and * tags mean?

x clinched a playoff spot, z clinched first place and the bye, * clinched first place with home field. An e means the team is eliminated.

When is the playoff picture final?

After the last regular-season game at the end of October. The Grey Cup is played in November.

Updated · last result change Sep 15