Sport in Toronto - Football

Football

Main article: Toronto Argonauts See also: Canadian Football Act, National Football League in Toronto, Bills Toronto Series, Toronto Rifles, Toronto Phantoms, International Bowl, and Toronto Triumph

Toronto is home to the oldest professional football team in North America, the Toronto Argonauts, who have won the Grey Cup championship a record 15 times. The team was founded in 1873 by the Argonaut Rowing Club, and is referred to as the Boatmen in honour of that heritage. The team is also known as the double blue because of the franchise colours (Oxford blue and Cambridge blue); the colour blue has become emblematic of the city and most of its sport franchises. The Argos also draw the highest per-game attendance of any sports team in Toronto and draw the second highest per-game TV ratings nationally of any Toronto based sports team (after the Maple Leafs hockey club).

There have been several failed attempts to bring professional American football to Toronto in the past involving the Toronto Rifles of the Continental Football League and the Toronto Northmen of the World Football League. The Arena Football League brought the Toronto Phantoms to the city in 2001 after relocating from Hartford, Connecticut as the New England Sea Wolves, but the team lasted only two seasons before folding. Toronto Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey has occasionally campaigned to bring a National Football League franchise to Toronto, but is opposed by Toronto Mayor David Miller. News media refer to the idea as "just a dream." There has also been talk about the possibility of the NFL's Buffalo Bills moving to Toronto in the future. The owner of the Buffalo Bills, Ralph Wilson, presented plans to play one preseason and regular season game per year in Toronto in an effort to expand its market. On February 1, 2008, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that a plan for the Bills to play five regular season games and three pre-season games at the Rogers Centre in Toronto over the next five years, received approval from NFL owners. An official press conference to announce the new Bills Toronto Series took place five days later at the Rogers Centre.

Toronto has also played host to the Grey Cup Championship 45 times, the most out of any host city. The last Grey Cup they hosted was the 100th Grey Cup on November 25, 2012, which was won by the home town Toronto Argonauts.

Toronto has also hosted the Vanier Cup Championship 40 times, the most out of any host city, serving as its exclusive host from its inception in 1965 until 2003. In 2004, Canadian Interuniversity Sport began accepting bids from other cities to host the event. Since then, Toronto won a bid to host another Vanier Cup Championship in 2007 to coincide with the 95th Grey Cup being played during the same weekend in the city.

Toronto was also host to a series of NCAA football bowl games called the International Bowl between 2007-2010.

Toronto was granted an expansion team in the Lingerie Football League, called the Toronto Triumph. The Triumph began in 2011 and played their games at the Ricoh Coliseum. The league is legitimate indoor football, played by women dressed in lingerie.