Wright out as CFL commissioner
Tom Wright will present the Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Nov. 19 and then bid adieu to the Canadian Football League.
Wright, who became the league's 11th commissioner in November 2002, informed the board of governors Wednesday of his decision not to seek renewal of his contract.
"A decision like this is never easy," Wright said in a statement. "When I joined the CFL in 2002 I made the decision based upon an equal and passionate love of country and sport.
"I'm extremely proud of the work that my team and I have undertaken and the results we have achieved together. But the time has come for me to pursue other career opportunities."
Wright will work with the executive committee to ensure a smooth transition for his successor.
"There is still much to be accomplished in the months ahead," he said.
Wright would have needed the support of six of the league's eight teams if he planned to stay on.
Last May, the governors voted to give Wright a contract extension, despite reports that many owners weren't happy with his leadership and wished to move in another direction.
"I really find it disappointing and reprehensible that information of this nature is offered without attribution," he told the Globe and Mail in June.
"When individuals choose to share information that is under the cloak of being a CFL source, with motives that are not shared by the majority of the board, I think they are doing our fans, our league and our game a great disservice."
Gene Dunn, chair of the CFL board of governors, said the league hasn't been this strong in a generation and is poised for continued growth.
"As commissioner, Tom Wright has been a positive force in the growth of the CFL and the new vision for the league," said Dunn.
Most recently, the commissioner came under fire because of the ownership problems of the Ottawa Renegades, which led to team owners Bernie Glieberman and William Smith putting the team up for sale and the CFL mothballing the franchise in April for a year.
The Renegades reportedly suffered losses of $10 million over the last three seasons.
Wright, who earns a base salary of $400,000 a year, has had success during his tenure as commissioner: namely, finding new owners for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts during the 2003 season when both clubs were struggling financially.
Television viewership and corporate sponsorship has also grown during Wright's time as commissioner.
"I am grateful that we've been able to achieve so many things I wished to do at the CFL," Wright said.
In February 2003, Wright accomplished one of his goals by announcing a five-year deal with TSN and the CBC. Wright also began to aggressively move towards the establishment of an expansion franchise in the Maritimes, most likely Halifax.
He began 2006 focusing on a new salary-management system that was approved in January and then voted down by the governors in May, who said its implementation was on hold.