Ownership and management controversies soon overtook the new franchise[8] and the Renegades abruptly ceased operations prior to the 2006 CFL season.

The league liquidated the Renegades roster in a dispersal draft and placed the Ottawa CFL franchise up for sale, with the intention of eventually returning to the city.

[9] On March 25, 2008, Jeff Hunt, the owner of the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's, spearheaded a group that was awarded a franchise.

The league then set a new date of 2013 for the team's debut, but lawsuits forced the delay of reconstruction of the stadium to be pushed back even further.

[10] The team and league then announced plans to play at a remodelled Frank Clair Stadium—now called TD Place Stadium—by 2014 if construction remained on schedule.

[6] Concurrently, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk had announced plans to bid for a Major League Soccer franchise to play in Ottawa, intending to build a new soccer-specific stadium near the Senators' Scotiabank Place (now Canadian Tire Centre) in support of that plan.

The city held public hearings based on the report, which questioned the necessity of the spending but gave a slight edge to the Lansdowne proposal.

Negotiations were conducted over the next several months, leading to an August 26 presentation to the council so that it could decide the fate of football in Ottawa in the foreseeable future.

[17] The following Monday, November 16, it was reported that the council had voted 15–9 in favour of plans to redevelop Lansdowne Park to house a CFL team.

[citation needed] On June 28, 2010, after a twelve-hour meeting, the city council approved the plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park by the same 15–9 vote, all but securing a franchise in the nation's capital.

[19] However, a failed legal challenge and an Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the Lansdowne Park redevelopment project delayed the start of construction until 2013[20] with completion targeted for the summer of 2015, although there were indications that the stadium could be opened for football as early as 2014.

The team selected Nolan MacMillan from Iowa, Connor Williams from Utah State, Kalonji Kashama from Eastern Michigan and Tyler Digby from Robert Morris.

CFL commissioner Mark Cohon was authorized to resolve any dispute related to player eligibility for the Expansion Draft process.

[29] On July 3, 2014, the Ottawa Redblacks played their first regular-season game, a road match against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions in the opening quarter, but ultimately losing 36–28.

Despite losing Henry Burris to retirement and key contributors such as Kienan LaFrance and Ernest Jackson to free agency, the Redblacks finished the season with another 8–9–1 record, which was good enough for second place in the East Division, behind the Toronto Argonauts.

Their quest for a second consecutive Grey Cup fell short as the team lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, which crossed over to play the Redblacks in the East Division semifinal.

The team lost their main offensive stars, Trevor Harris and Greg Ellingson, in free agency as both players signed with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Their quarterbacking position was in flux for most of the season as Jonathon Jennings, Dominique Davis, and Will Arndt all spent time under centre.

[40] After a 2–0 start, the team lost four in a row and capped off the season by losing 11 consecutive games, finishing the year at 3–15, good enough for fourth in the East, and ninth place overall in the CFL.

[49] On May 30, 2013, the website SportsLogos.net reported that the ownership group had filed copyright protection for the nickname "Redblacks" (and its French equivalent, Rouge et Noir) with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

On the same day, the team also revealed its logo—an italicized version of the block "R" that had appeared on the Rough Riders' helmets from 1975 to 1991 (with artistic ink traps) surrounded by a red outline inside a black saw blade.

The name, which came from online suggestions, was an acknowledgement to the Big Joe Mufferaw folk legend popularized in several works of fiction (most notably by Ottawa native Bernie Bedore) and in songs by Stompin' Tom Connors.

The program directors are Lisa Aucoin and Kenny Feeley,[62] and the dance team's head coach is Melany Morrison.