The Work Behind Next Summer

Some weeks, the most important progress in a football league happens nowhere near a field. This has been one of those weeks.

We’re working to finalize our media kit as conversations with prospective corporate partners continue. For me, that work is about more than putting together a good-looking presentation. It is about being clear on what a partnership with this league means, what we can deliver and how we earn the relationship beyond the first conversation.

We’ve also had three excellent meetings with potential ownership groups as we work toward completing our lineup of teams for 2027. I’m encouraged by those conversations. But an encouraging meeting and an approved club are not the same thing. Our job is to turn interest into written commitments, paid deposits and readiness to meet league standards.

That is the balance I keep coming back to: move the league forward without getting ahead of the work. Fans deserve something they can believe in, and owners deserve to know the teams alongside them are preparing to carry their share.

On the football side, I’m preparing to meet with our head of officiating to review and revise the rules for the upcoming season. We’ll share the changes once that work is complete. The discussion comes first; the announcement follows.

I love the football part of this job. I also know the football depends on getting these less visible decisions right. That is where our attention is this week: stronger partnerships, prepared ownership groups and a clear standard for the game we put on the field.

Manny Matsakis
Founder & CEO, Continental Football League

Player Opportunities

The Next Opportunity

Two players from the CoFL’s 2026 season have earned new opportunities to continue their professional careers.

Cahsid Raymond: Raymond played for the Ohio Valley Ironmen in 2025 and 2026, including the club’s 2026 Continental Football League campaign. The wide receiver has now earned a training camp invitation with the Dallas Renegades following his performance at a UFL showcase (official announcement).

Wesley Steiner: The San Antonio Toros linebacker has signed to the BC Lions’ practice roster in the Canadian Football League, according to San Antonio Snap Count’s October 6 report (read the report).

These are opportunities earned, with more work ahead. We congratulate Cahsid and Wesley, recognize the teams and coaches who worked with them this season, and look forward to following their next chapters.

The Legacy

Before the Genius: Bill Walsh’s Forgotten Season in the Continental Football League

Before the championships and the coaching legacy, Bill Walsh had a team to build in San Jose: in 1967, he served as both head coach and general manager of the Continental Football League’s Apaches (CoFL Legacy Series).

Our latest feature revisits that overlooked season, exploring the demanding young coach, the operation he ran and the early signs of an approach that would later influence the sport (read the feature).

It is a chapter worth knowing, not simply a famous name worth claiming. Start with the coach before the reputation, and follow the story from there.

Read the Bill Walsh Feature →

On CoFL Watch · Manny’s Minute EP13

The Chicago Owls

62 Points in an Empty Cathedral

A scoreboard can tell one story while the business tells another. This week’s Manny’s Minute asks you to look beyond the points and consider the question every team has to answer: what does it take to keep the football going?

Good football matters. So does the work that gives it a future.

Watch Manny’s Minute Episode 13 →

Remembering Mike Ditka

We join the football community in remembering Mike Ditka, whose family confirmed his passing at age 86 (CBS Chicago). A Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl-winning head coach, Ditka left a lasting mark on Chicago football (CBS Chicago).

We extend our condolences to his family, friends, former players and colleagues. This week, we pause to remember a life in football.

Keep Building With Us

Thank you for following the work, not just the announcements. Forward this issue to someone who cares about where football has been and where it can go next.

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For Those Who Study the Game

Football deserves a place on your bookshelf. Gridiron Aficionado, Manny Matsakis’s independent football publication, brings history, coaching, strategy and overlooked stories together in a collector-grade print magazine published twice a year (subscription details).

Subscribe to Gridiron Aficionado →

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