Roughriders release 2020 schedule

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be on the sidelines when the CFL’s 2020 regular season opens.

Saskatchewan has a bye in Week 1 of the regular season, which is to begin June 11.

The Roughriders’ first regular-season game is set for June 19, when the Montreal Alouettes are to visit Mosaic Stadium.

That facility also will be the site of the final game of the 2020 season; the Grey Cup game is to be played in Regina on Nov. 22.

The CFL released the schedule for the 2020 campaign on Monday.

“The 2020 season is set to be a very memorable one for us here in Riderville,” Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds said in a media release. “Not only will we be celebrating our club’s 110th anniversary, but we’ll end the season by hosting the Grey Cup.”

The Roughriders’ pre-season games are set for May 30 (in Calgary) and June 5 (at home to Winnipeg).

In the regular season, Saskatchewan is to play one home game on a Thursday, two on Fridays, five on Saturdays and one on a Sunday.

The Roughriders are to play two road games on Thursdays, one on a Friday and six on Saturdays.

Saskatchewan has six home games over its first nine contests before playing six road games over its final nine outings.

The Roughriders’ three byes are in weeks 1, 6 and 19.

The B.C. Lions are to visit Regina twice during the regular season and the Roughriders are to travel to Edmonton twice to face the Eskimos.

Saskatchewan’s away game against the Toronto Argonauts on July 25 is to be played at a neutral site. It’s the first time since the 2004 season that the Roughriders won’t play a game in Toronto.

The CFL annually plays a neutral-site game in Atlantic Canada, but further details about the July 25 contest weren’t released. According to the Argos’ website, more information will be forthcoming in the new year.

The Labour Day Classic against the defending Grey Cup-champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers is to be played at Mosaic Stadium on Sept. 6, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. The Banjo Bowl is set for Sept. 12 in Winnipeg.

The Roughriders’ schedule can be found here.

NOTES: The Roughriders announced Monday they had signed Winnipeg-born running back Kienan LaFrance to a two-year contract extension. LaFrance had two carries for nine yards and made 15 special-teams tackles for Saskatchewan last season … The Roughriders also announced they had re-signed Regina-born running back Atlee Simon and Canadian defensive back Shamar Busby. Simon, a product of the University of Regina Rams, signed with the Roughriders in October but didn’t play in any games. He was selected by Calgary in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. Busby also signed with Saskatchewan in October after spending the pre-season with Ottawa.