While the NFL might seem like a juggernaut ready to crush its smaller, Northern counterpart at any second, the NFL needs the CFL to maintain its stronghold on professional football. This need was strong enough for the NFL to shell out its own money to ensure the CFL’s survival.
The NFL/CFL Co-Operative Agreement
In 1997, the Canadian Football League found itself in dire financial straights, after failed experiments to expand the league into the United States. These expansion cities included Shreveport, Louisiana, Memphis Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama. The only way for the CFL to stay afloat was if it received help, and quickly.
With the chance to benefit, the NFL and CFL developed the NFL/CFL Co-Operative Relationship Agreement. This pact would allow CFL players to sign with NFL teams during the option years of their contracts. In exchange, the NFL would help the CFL to maintain financial stability. The five-year agreement between the two was extended from 2004 to 2006.
