Author: Marc Mathon

2022 Playoff Format

With the leave of absence taken by the Ottawa Sooners the playoff format for 2022 will include the top 8 teams across the league, rather than divisional playoff. The quarter final will be played on August 6th as follows:

  • #8 @ #1
  • #7 @ #2
  • #6 @ #3
  • #5 @ #4

The semi final games will be played on August 13 and the NFC Championship Game will be played on August 20th with the highest seeded club hosting.

Steel City Patriots Playoff Participation

As a consequence of serious violations of Northern Football Conference rules pertaining to NFC Member Club Representative’s responsibilities and obligations, the Steel City Patriots will not be participating in the 2022 playoffs. Steel City Patriots will complete the 2022 season by playing their last game of the season on July 23rd.

The NFC Executive understands the impacts of this outcome and sympathizes with those affected, but the action taken is appropriate, proportional and necessary considering the circumstances and serve as a first step in addressing the issues at hand.

Further announcements pertaining to 2022 playoffs will be forthcoming.

NFC Holds 2022 Annual General Meeting January 29th, 2022

On January 29th, 2022 the NFC will hold its Annual General Meeting in which it will carry out its annual corporate activities, but also make preparations for the upcoming 2022 Season. the NFC had to suspend league season games in 2020 and 2021 largely due to the complexities involved with clubs operating tackle football teams in light of the wide variety of Covid 19 restrictions in place across the league.

Each club requires months of preparations ranging from player recruitment to sponsorships and establishing partnerships with local businesses as well as navigating the securing of practice and game day facilities. These tasks were made impossible to properly execute given the degree of uncertainty surrounding Covid restrictions across all 10 NFC centers.Member clubs need some degree of certainty between March and August to properly execute a meaningful season to the standards the NFC clubs aim to provide their fans and players.

There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel with most of the world, determined to learn to live with the virus, seems to be letting go of crippling and damaging restrictions. We hope Canada will follow suit and open the door for the NFC to have a full and rewarding season in summer 2022.

Stay tuned here for more information following the January 29th Annual General Meeting.

 

2020 NFC Season Notice

April 19, 2020 

Tonight the Northern Football Conference held a Special Meeting of its entire membership to discuss the 2020 season. The nature of the NFC is that we operate at a semi-pro level football league which involves longer pre-season preparation times for marketing, player signing & training camp operations than varsity age groups.

As well, in order to avoid conflicts with OUA football, the NFC needs to wrap up its season by the third week of August. With many municipalities cancelling field access until July the NFC’s summer window to conduct a season has passed us by. As a result, the Northern Football Conference has, as of tonight, cancelled its 2020 season and clubs are planning for a strong comeback in 2021.

With that decision the NFC membership adds that the safety of its players, coaches & volunteers was also an important factor in making this decision, which is why the NFC waited until now to make that call. “Once it became evident that fields across the league would not be available until well into our summer season window we gathered the membership and together we made this decision. It was a hard one that nobody took lightly.” Said Marc Mathon secretary of the NFC. 

NFC clubs may hold football camps and inter team scrimmages later in the summer, if their local situation changes and makes fields available and intercity travel is deemed safe by the provincial government. We encourage players to stay in touch with their teams for updates on club driven events.

NFC COVID-19 UPDATE

Without question, this is an unprecedented period of difficulty for everyone inside and outside the sports world.

The health and safety of all NFC members, fans & family is our highest priority. With the start of the 2020 NFC season still more than 2 months away, the NFC has made no adjustments or changes to the schedule, but circumstances are changing daily.

The government has asked that we avoid gatherings of 50 or more and avoid gatherings if at all possible. All indoor practice facilities and school gyms have been closed for the rest of the month of March and are likely to extend further into April. The NFC Executive asks that all member clubs suspend football activities until April 15th to do our part in complying with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations and reduce the risk to NFC members contracting COVID-19.

The NFC will be monitoring events and government responses over the coming weeks. We will be considering all available options that will see the 2020 schedule get started. The NFC will provide another update on April 16th as circumstances will surely be different than they are today.

Please keep yourselves and your families safe and lets do our part to help reduce the spread of this virus so we all can get back to normal life sooner than later.