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CFL is "really close" to 2016 schedule release, as pressure on league grows

Last year's CFL schedule was released Feb. 13. This year's is stated to be "really close." (CFL.ca.)

The release of the CFL's schedule each season has always been an unusual event with a wide variety of dates (for example, Feb. 18 in 2011, Feb. 16 in 2012, March 5 in 2013, Feb. 12 in 2014Feb. 13 in 2015) and usually not much advance notice. The 2016 schedule still hasn't come out yet, and some fans are starting to get understandably edgy, hoping to make summer travel plans and so on. They may soon get what they're looking for, though, as league communications director Paulo Senra told 55-Yard Line Wednesday.

"We’re really close," Senra said. "We’re working out some final tweaks, and hoping to get something out this week."

The official @CFL Twitter account has also been teasing a possible schedule release, responding to all inquiries Wednesday with various cute animal memes, most of them stating "Soon":

While those likely weren't the answers fans were looking for, those are still pretty clever ways to respond when you're not allowed to give out an actual date. Humour's not going to replace actual answers, but it's not a bad response. It also doesn't seem right to suggest that "Under the Mark Cohon regime, the league was transparent. The fans and the league were one when it came to marketing products or releasing the schedule." The CFL hasn't had a fixed date for its schedule release in at least the past five years, and there really wasn't greater transparency about it; this is about par for the course, not some dastardly new regime.

The CFL is pushing this quite late, though. While they're still within the normal range, they're drawing close to the end of it; Thursday is February 18, would be equal to the second-latest the schedule's come out in the last five years. Nothing will top the 2013 March release, but that was thanks to issues including the season-long relocation of the Tiger-Cats. There aren't many stadium concerns this season, especially now that the Argonauts have a better situation at BMO Field and that there's no Women's World Cup to worry about, so the league should be able to get something done soon. The fans will certainly be happy if the "really close" comments turn out to be accurate.