Get ready to party, Moose Jaw -- Saskatchewan has been awarded the 2020 Grey Cup.
Canadian Football League commissioner Randy Ambrosie made the announcement during a special televised live event on TSN on Thursday afternoon.
“Congratulations to Saskatchewan on winning the bid for the 2020 Grey Cup. It’s exciting the Roughriders and their legion of fans, among the most passionate in all of sport, will cap the club’s 110th anniversary by welcoming the biggest event in Canadian sport,” Ambrosie said on CFL.ca.
The league also announced that the 2021 Grey Cup will be held in Hamilton. Montreal also placed a bid to host, but because renovations to Olympic Stadium aren't expected to be complete by then, their bid fell short.
The Canadian Football League’s new Grey Cup bidding system requires interested CFL teams and their partners to present their plans to the league’s Grey Cup Committee with the final choice resting with its Board of Governors. This is believed to be the first time in history that the league has awarded two Grey Cups at the same time.
“The Saskatchewan Roughriders are thrilled to host the 2020 Grey Cup in Canada’s newest outdoor stadium. We are excited to welcome the entire country to share in the culmination of our 110th anniversary and experience Saskatchewan’s legendary hospitality”, said Craig Reynolds, President and CEO of the community-owned Roughriders.
Saskatchewan last hosted the Grey Cup in 2013, with the Riders capturing the most prized trophy in Canadian sport on home soil in what may have been the most memorable day ever for Rider Nation.
Hamilton last hosted the Grey Cup in 1996, when the Toronto Argonauts captured the Cup in thrilling fashion in what is often described as the ‘Snow Bowl’, one of the most entertaining Grey Cup games ever.
Both Saskatchewan and Hamilton have moved into modern new venues since those Grey Cups: The Tiger-Cats have played at Tim Hortons Field since 2014 and the Roughriders moved into new Mosaic Stadium in 2017.
“We know both of these cities will build on the momentum that is sure to be created this November when Calgary hosts the 107th Grey Cup. Calgarians were the first to turn Canada’s championship game into a party that celebrates our game, our country and we know they’ll do a great job this year,” Ambrosie said.
“We have challenged our teams and their communities to raise the bar by making each Grey Cup the best ever. Edmonton took it to a new level last year and Calgary, Saskatchewan and Hamilton have put together plans that will continue to take the Grey Cup game and festival to new heights.”
The 107th Grey Cup game will be played November 24, 2019 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. The 108th Grey Cup game will be played Sunday, November 22, 2020 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. The 109th Grey Cup will be played at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario on November 21, 2021.
