1974 CFL season

The Eastern Conference extended its regular season schedule from 14 to 16 games in 1974. The Western Football Conference had been playing a 16-game schedule since 1952. ORFU, which had not competed for the Grey Cup in 20 seasons and had dropped to amateur status, ceased to exist. The Montreal Alouettes change their colours to red, white and blue, and adopt the triangular "Delta" logo with the Montreal colours in it on a navy blue helmet.

The first players' strike in league history occurred during training camp. The strike was settled prior to the beginning of the regular season. No games were cancelled as a result of the dispute. It was this strike, which coincided with a similarly timed strike in the National Football League, which brought into existence the World Football League, a potential rival league to both the NFL and CFL, and one of the WFL's teams was to be placed in Toronto. In retaliation, Canadian Parliament introduced (but never passed) the Canadian Football Act, which would have given the CFL a government-enforced monopoly on professional football in Canada. The spectre of the bill prompted the Toronto franchise owner to relocate his team to the U.S. before it began play, and the only presence the WFL would ever have in Canada was a single game in London, Ontario, a city where the CFL had (and still has today) no direct presence.

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points

• Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
• Edmonton and Montreal have first round byes.

The Montreal Alouettes are the 1974 Grey Cup champions, defeating the Edmonton Eskimos, 20–7, at Vancouver's Empire Stadium. Montreal's Sonny Wade (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Junior Ah You (DE) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence. Montreal's Don Sweet (K) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

• CFL Passing Leaders
• CFL Rushing Leaders
• CFL Receiving Leaders^[1]

• CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Tom Wilkinson (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
• CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Tony Gabriel (TE), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – John Helton (DT), Calgary Stampeders
• CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award – Ed George (OG), Montreal Alouettes
• CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award – Sam Cvijanovich (LB), Toronto Argonauts
• CFL's Coach of the Year – Marv Levy, Montreal Alouettes