CFL COMBINE COMING TO WINNIPEG & REGINA
The Canadian Football League (CFL)’s top draft prospects will head west next spring for the CFL Combine presented by New Era. Winnipeg will host the 2024 showcase from March 19-24, before the annual event heads to Regina in 2025.
“We’re excited to partner with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers next year and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2025, to set the stage for future players entering our league,” said Greg Dick, the CFL’s Chief Football Operations Officer and Head of Grey Cup & Events.
“The Combine is a vital tool for GMs, coaches and scouts to evaluate the incoming class of Canadian and Global talent in person, but beyond that, being invited is also a hard-earned reward for top-flight young players after years of determination, training and sacrifice.”
The 2024 CFL Combine Season kicks off with a specialized Kicking Combine on January 20 in San Diego. On March 8, players from across Canada will gather at the University of Waterloo’s Feridun Hamdullahpur Field House for the CFL Invitational Combine, where several prospects will earn the opportunity to join the top-ranked class of draft-eligible players in Winnipeg.
“We are fortunate to have had some incredible homegrown players wear blue and gold over the years, and their CFL journeys began with the CFL combine,” said Wade Miller, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Football Club. “We are thrilled to be able to host this showcase of local talent here in Winnipeg next spring.”
The event will follow a similar five-day format that was introduced in 2023. Day One will see players take part in medical testing and measurements, while Day Two will include traditional on- and off-field testing, including the 40-yard dash, the bench press and more. Days Three to Five will be designated for practice sessions involving individual drills and one-on-ones with CFL coaches leading positional groups and installing offences and defences. The event will be streamed live on CFL+, with additional daily recaps, results and in-depth analysis available through CFL social channels and CFL.ca.
The 2024 event would not be possible without the support of the City of Winnipeg and Tourism Winnipeg, a division of Economic Development Winnipeg.
“We are excited to showcase Winnipeg, especially to the next generation of professional athletes. Our city lives and breathes sports, and hosting this event is an excellent prelude to the 112th Grey Cup in 2025,” said Ryan Kuffner, President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg. “From our legendary whiteout parties to the deafening cheers from the CFL’s loudest fans, we’ve always known how to host a great sports event.”
Full event details, including participants, venues, media coverage and more will be announced early in the new year.
In 2025, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the City of Regina and Tourism Saskatchewan will play host to the event. Team President and CEO Craig Reynolds looks forward to shining the spotlight on the city and showcasing all it has to offer to potential future members of the Green and White.
“We are thrilled to be future hosts of the CFL Combine. Saskatchewan is incredibly passionate about football at all levels and we feel great pride in hosting the future stars of the CFL. With the Vanier Cup also slated for Regina, 2025 is promising to be a very exciting year for university football in our province.”
(CFL Communications)
