Dogs' Breakfast (Image Credit: Huskie Athletics)
Listen: CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston

Stewart Johnston attends his first Dogs’ Breakfast

May 1, 2026 | 11:39 AM

CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston witnessed his first ‘Dogs’ Breakfast’ in Saskatoon on Thursday morning. The 2026 event, with guest speaker Pinball Clemons, raised over $140,000 for USask football player scholarships. The team’s 25 new recruits were introduced in front of over 1,400 football fans at Prairieland Park in the lead up to Huskie spring camp at Griffiths Stadium. “The campus is incredible”, Johnston said at a VIP event on Wednesday night. “The history of this program is so rich and robust with its supporters.” 

Earlier this week the CFL draft was held with two Huskies and a total of 16 Canada West players being selected by the nine teams over the eight rounds. “To be able to announce so many names from U SPORTS programs has been amazing”, said Stewart.

 Johnston has announced some big changes to the Canadian Football League since being named commissioner in April of 2025. In 2026 a new playoff format will take hold, with eight of nine teams advancing to the post season. In 2027 the dimensions of the field will change with the removal of the 55-yard line and goal posts moving to the back of a 15-yard end zone.

Three Canada West teams play home games in CFL stadiums (Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg) while three don’t. (UBC, Alberta, Huskies) When asked about that challenge Johnston said “In sports all over the world there are different field dimensions. I know my 15-year-old daughter plays hockey. Every rink she goes to is a different size. So, I think that nothing is insurmountable. We are here to support where we can. If it’s played on different looking fields, that’s fine.

 “2027 is coming at us now, pretty quickly. I probably would say, long term, we could see anything. I think that’s up to these great schools, their athletic directors and U SPORTS as an organization. They’ve got to kind of figure out what is it we want to do and where we want to go.”

Huskie spring camp concludes with a scrimmage on Sunday, May 3rd at 11:00 AM at Griffiths Stadium. 2026 USask football season tickets are now on sale here.

wray.morrison@pattisonmedia.com

X: @wraymorrison

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