Calgary Stampeders not in control of their CFL playoff destiny

TORONTO – The Calgary Stampeders will be playing for much more than the season series with the B.C. Lions on Saturday night.

Calgary (8-9) visits B.C. (10-6) with the two teams having split their previous two contests this season. The Lions can cement a home playoff game with a victory.

Calgary doesn’t control its playoff fate. It can neither clinch a post-season berth with a victory nor be eliminated from contention with a loss, thanks to last week’s 33-28 setback to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

That loss gave Winnipeg the season series with Calgary 2-1. The Bombers split their series with Saskatchewan 1-1 but have a better point differential in those two contests, giving them the tiebreaker with the Riders.

If Calgary beats B.C., there exists the possibility of a tie among three teams at 9-9 in the West Division. The tiebreaker would be combined head-to-head records involving the tied teams.

Winnipeg would get third based upon a 3-2 record, Saskatchewan would be fourth (2-2) while Calgary (2-3) would finish fifth and out of the playoffs.

If the Stampeders and Riders were to end the season with identical records, Calgary would finish ahead of Saskatchewan on point differential. The Stamps outscored the Riders 74-71 in their head-to-head contests.

Calgary could still reach the playoffs with a loss to B.C., so long as Saskatchewan (8-8) drops both of its final two regular-season games. But a Riders victory — either Saturday versus Montreal or versus Edmonton on Oct. 24 — would eliminate the Stampeders from playoff contention.

Either a Calgary loss or a Winnipeg win over Edmonton (12-4) on Friday would clinch a playoff berth for the Bombers.

Edmonton can clinch first in the West — and home field for the division final Nov. 7 — with a win over Winnipeg next week over Saskatchewan. The Elks would also cement top spot if the Lions were to lose either of their final two regular-season contests.

If Edmonton cements first, B.C. can secure second — and host the West semifinal Oct. 31 — with one more victory or a Winnipeg loss.

The Bombers still have an outside chance of capturing second if they finish tied with the Lions at the end of the season, but would need to beat B.C. by 17 points in the final week of the season.

B.C. won the first meeting of the teams 35-19 at Princess Auto Stadium on July 30. 

The East Division playoff picture is settled. The Toronto Argonauts (9-7) will host the West’s fourth-place finisher in the semifinal contest Oct. 31, with the winner visiting Montreal (13-3) on Nov. 7.

The Grey Cup will be held Nov. 15 at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.