Jeffrey Orridge Out as Commissioner of the CFL

The Canadian Football League is, once again, seeing a shakeup at the top.

Commissioner Jeffrey Orridge and the CFL have decided to part ways, the league said in a press release on Wednesday. He will continue in his role through the spring, however, with the move being effective June 30, 2017.

"Jeffrey played an important role in developing the league's strategic plan which has, in a short time, helped to elevate some key metrics that underpin the health of the league," said CFL chair Jim Lawson.

Though a formal reason for the separation hasn't been publicized, it appears that the outgoing commissioner and some of the owners and board members around the league had contrasting ideas on how to move forward.

"While the Board and I have differing views on the future of the league, we both believe passionately in this game, its players, its partners and its fans. I wish the CFL great success in the future," Orridge said in the statement.

Orridge was head of global business development at Right To Play International before being hired as executive director of CBC Sports in 2011, a position he held until joining the CFL in 2015. He was the first black commissioner of a significant North American professional sports league, and received the African Canadian Achievement Award of Excellence for his accomplishments in the sports world in February.

The American-born Orridge, who has lived in Canada since 2007, became the 13th commissioner in CFL history in March 2015, putting in a short two-year tenure after taking over from previous commish Mark Cohon. A replacement for Orridge has yet to be named.