The 1976 CFL season is considered to be the 23rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 19th Canadian Football League season.

CFL news in 1976 For the first time in Canadian Football League history, more than two million fans attended CFL games, with a total attendance of 2,029,586.

In the CFL All-Star Game, the East team defeated the West, 27–16, in front of 21,762 fans at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton. The game was played before the pre-season on May 29, the first time a CFL contest was held in the month of May (and the last time until 2018).

Regular season standings

Saskatchewan and Ottawa have first round byes.

Grey Cup playoffs

The Ottawa Rough Riders are the 1976 Grey Cup champions, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 23–20, at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. This was the third championship game between the two teams with Ottawa winning two out of three games. Ottawa's Tom Clements (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Saskatchewan's Cleveland Vann (LB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence. Ottawa's Tony Gabriel (TE) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

This was the only year between 1973 and 1982 that the Edmonton Eskimos did not appear in the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

CFL leaders CFL passing leaders CFL rushing leaders CFL receiving leaders

1976 CFL All-Stars

Offence QB – Ron Lancaster, Saskatchewan Roughriders RB – Jimmy Edwards, Hamilton Tiger-Cats RB – Jim Washington, Winnipeg Blue Bombers SB – Art Green, Ottawa Rough Riders TE – Tony Gabriel, Ottawa Rough Riders WR – Rhett Dawson, Saskatchewan Roughriders WR – George McGowan, Edmonton Eskimos C – Al Wilson, BC Lions OG – Ralph Galloway, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Dave Braggins, Montreal Alouettes OT – Dan Yochum, Montreal Alouettes OT – Butch Norman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Defence DT – Granville Liggins, Toronto Argonauts DT – John Helton, Calgary Stampeders DE – Bill Baker, BC Lions DE – Junior Ah You, Montreal Alouettes LB – Harry Walters, Winnipeg Blue Bombers LB – Mark Kosmos, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – Roger Goree, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Lorne Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Brian Herosian, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB – Dickie Harris, Montreal Alouettes DB – David Shaw, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – Paul Williams, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Lewis Porter, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

1976 Eastern All-Stars

Offence QB – Tom Clements, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – Jimmy Edwards, Hamilton Tiger-Cats RB – Andy Hopkins, Montreal Alouettes SB – Art Green, Ottawa Rough Riders TE – Tony Gabriel, Ottawa Rough Riders WR – Mike Eben, Toronto Argonauts WR – Johnny Rodgers, Montreal Alouettes C – Donn Smith, Ottawa Rough Riders OG – Larry Butler, Hamilton Tiger-Cats OG – Dave Braggins, Montreal Alouettes OT – Dan Yochum, Montreal Alouettes OT – Jim Coode, Ottawa Rough Riders

Defence DT – Glen Weir, Montreal Alouettes DT – Granville Liggins, Toronto Argonauts DE – Mike Samples, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DE – Junior Ah You, Montreal Alouettes LB – Larry Cameron, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – Mark Kosmos, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – Chuck Zapiec, Montreal Alouettes DB – Steve Dennis, Toronto Argonauts DB – Phil Price, Montreal Alouettes DB – Dickie Harris, Montreal Alouettes DB – David Shaw, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – Larry Uteck, Toronto Argonauts DB – Lewis Porter, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

1976 Western All-Stars

Offence QB – Ron Lancaster, Saskatchewan Roughriders RB – Mike Strickland, BC Lions RB – Jim Washington, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB – Steve Beaird, Winnipeg Blue Bombers TE – Bob Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders WR – Rhett Dawson, Saskatchewan Roughriders WR – George McGowan, Edmonton Eskimos C – Al Wilson, BC Lions OG – Ralph Galloway, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Buddy Brown, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OT – Layne McDowell, BC Lions OT – Butch Norman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Defence DT – Tim Roth, Saskatchewan Roughriders DT – John Helton, Calgary Stampeders DE – Bill Baker, BC Lions DE – George Wells, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – Harry Walters, Winnipeg Blue Bombers LB – Bill Manchuk, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – Roger Goree, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Lorne Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Brian Herosian, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB – Joe Hollimon, Edmonton Eskimos DB – Ken McEachern, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Paul Williams, Saskatchewan Roughriders

1976 CFL awards CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Ron Lancaster (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Tony Gabriel (TE), Ottawa Rough Riders CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Bill Baker (DE), BC Lions CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award – Dan Yochum (OT), Montreal Alouettes CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award – John Sciarra (QB), BC Lions CFLPA's Outstanding Community Service Award – George Reed (RB), Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL's Coach of the Year – Bob Shaw, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

References