1961 CFL season

The 1961 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 8th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 4th Canadian Football League season.

CFL News in 1961
The Western Canada Intercollegiate Rugby Union merged with the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union.

The WIFU changed its name to become the Western Football Conference.

The CFL season schedule was partially interlocked to allow teams of the Eastern Football Conference to play the teams of the Western Football Conference.

A third consecutive year of interleague exhibition matches were scheduled with teams in the National Football League. As in 1959 and 1960, in both of the two games played, both CFL teams lost (the Toronto Argonauts lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 36–7, on August 2, while the Montreal Alouettes fell to the Chicago Bears, 34–16, on August 5). The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had a better idea for success: challenge the nascent American Football League to a duel. The Tiger-Cats faced off against their cross-border "rivals," the Buffalo Bills, on August 8. The Tiger-Cats defeated the Bills, 38–21, giving the Canadian league its first win over an American team since 1941. The AFL, embarrassed over the loss, declined to play another international game, and with the CFL consistently losing to NFL teams, the CFL ended international competition.

The 49th edition of the Grey Cup was played in overtime for the first time at Toronto's CNE Stadium. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won that game by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by a score of 21–14, to win the championship.

The CFL made some rule changes for the upcoming 1962 season by permitting four defensive backs from each team to have unlimited blocking in rushing plays, as long as they are lined up outside the ends. However, the CFL made the tackle-eligible play to become illegal.

Final regular season standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points


 * Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
 * Winnipeg and Hamilton have first round byes.

Grey Cup playoffs
Note: All dates in 1961

Conference Semi-Finals

 * Calgary won the total-point series by 27–26. The Stampeders will play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Finals.


 * ''The Argonauts will play the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Finals.

Conference Finals

 * ''Winnipeg wins the best of three series 2–0. The Blue Bombers will advance to the Grey Cup Championship game.


 * Hamilton won 2 game total-point series by 55–27. The Tiger-Cats will advance to the Grey Cup Championship game.

1961 CFL Awards

 * CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Bernie Faloney (QB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Tony Pajaczkowski (DE), Calgary Stampeders
 * CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – Frank Rigney (OT), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * CFL's Coach of the Year – Jim Trimble, Hamilton Tiger-Cats