MONCTON - The Canadian Football League is moving closing to naming a date for a long-awaited game in Moncton.

As another professional football season kicked off Wednesday night, CFL commissioner Mark Cohon told the Telegraph-Journal that the process of bringing a regular season game to Moncton next year has moved into the financing stage.

"I hope to have a Moncton game on the schedule at this time next year," Cohon said. "We are going through budgets now and dates of opportunity.

"We have a few months of work before we make some type of announcement on this."

The CFL typically announces a 19-week schedule in February, but it appears the confirmation of a Moncton game may come earlier.

The commissioner said he met recently with Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc, Premier Shawn Graham and Nova Scotia MP and minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Peter MacKay.

Cohon did not rule out the possibility of financial support from ACOA.

"We are looking at support from all three levels of government to make this happen, because we think this is a great economic activity plus a tourism opportunity for Moncton and the whole region," he said.

The CFL last tested Maritime waters for possible expansion in 2005 with an exhibition game in Halifax.

At that time, former commissioner Tom Wright was looking at the feasibility of adding a 10th CFL franchise by 2008, but only if a 25,000-seat stadium was in place and the league was convinced financial backers were ready and willing to ante up.

The dream died when financial instability hit other teams in the league in 2006, culminating in the indefinite suspension of the Ottawa Renegades.

Cohon said the idea of expanding to Halifax has shifted to Moncton.

"The key thing is that Moncton has built a stadium and we are saying there is an opportunity for us to hold events there," he said.

"The city also has a great entertainment experience in terms of attracting people in for major concerts.

"It's a great city to draw people from right across the region."

A new 10,000-seat stadium - which can accommodate 20,000 fans with temporary seating - is under construction at the Université de Moncton for the 2010 world junior track and field championships. It would be ready for a CFL game next season.

"We have a lot of fans for the league in Halifax," Cohon said. "I think the key thing right now is that there is not a stadium there."

Premier Shawn Graham and Moncton East MLA Chris Collins attended last year's Grey Cup as guests of Cohon.

Mayor George LeBlanc has been in continuous contact with the league as has Moncton's general manager for Recreation, Parks, Tourism and Culture, Ian Fowler.