EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Eskimos won't start training mid-May as planned, as the CFL becomes the latest sports league to make schedule changes for COVID-19.
League commissioner Randy Ambroise has delayed camps for the Esks and other eight CFL clubs.
"The ongoing global pandemic and the resulting directives issued by various governments make it unsafe to proceed with plans to gather our athletes and coaches together as scheduled," Ambrosie said.
Rookie camps, scheduled to start a week before training camp, were also postponed. Recently, the CFL cancelled its remaining combines and delayed its global draft.
The CFL season is scheduled to start on June 11, with the Edmonton Eskimos taking on the BC Lions at Commonwealth Stadium.
The league has yet to decide to reschedule the start of the 2020 season.
"As for our future plans, we are in the hands of our public health officials, the advice they are providing governments, and the directives those governments are issuing to us all, and we acknowledge their timetable will be dictated by the virus itself," Ambrosie said.
"We at the CFL are pragmatic optimists. Our pragmatism dictates that, unfortunately, training camps cannot go forward as scheduled. But our optimism remains strong. We continue to look forward to a CFL season and the Grey Cup."
