COVID-19 forces CFL to change plans for 2020 season, Grey Cup

The CFL has announced the 2020 Grey Cup game won’t be played in Regina — unless the Saskatchewan Roughriders earn the right to host it.

In a statement Wednesday, the CFL announced it was changing its plans for its championship game this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the 2020 season goes ahead, the team with the better regular-season record of the two qualifiers will play host to the game.

The Roughriders were slated to be the host team for the 2020 Grey Cup game and festival.

“It’s certainly natural to be disappointed and I think as an organization we are,” Roughriders president-CEO Craig Reynolds said Wednesday during a video call with media.

Reynolds said a committee was put in place comprising him and representatives of the CFL, the Calgary Stampeders (the 2019 Grey Cup hosts) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (the 2021 hosts) when the pandemic began to discuss the future of the CFL’s big game.

“It’s a disappointing day for sure and I think most of it was just around the excitement that I know our fans had and I know the province had around hosting our Grey Cup,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said about $500,000 was already spent on planning for the 2020 Grey Cup and that money will need to be worked into the 2022 budget.

The league noted that, in light of Wednesday’s news, Saskatchewan now will be the host team for the 2022 Grey Cup game.

“CFL fans from coast to coast to coast wanted to go to Regina this year for the national celebration of our great game and to be there in the heartland of our game on the prairies. But with all of the things that have been happening around the pandemic, having a traditional Grey Cup just wasn’t possible,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said during a virtual town hall. “We made the decision that we would shift the Grey Cup away from Regina this fall.”

Reynolds said about six full-time staff related to the planning of the 2020 Grey Cup would not be retained. He said they will be with the organization until the end of July and will work on closing out discussions about 2020 and some preliminary planning about what 2022 may look like budget-wise.

The CFL is also looking at pushing back the 2020 Grey Cup game from November into December.

Ambrosie said the league didn’t want to wait to make a decision about the 2020 Grey Cup because the event is more than just a football game.

“If all we were doing is planning to play a game in Regina in November, we may have been able to wait. But the Grey Cup is so much more than that,” Ambrosie said. “It is such a part of what has made the CFL such a legendary event.

“With what we know today, it is virtually impossible to host an event the way CFL fans and Canadians have become accustomed too.”

The 2021 game will be hosted by the Tiger-Cats, as was previously announced.

The CFL said if the 2020 season can be played, it likely would be a shortened campaign that would start in September at the earliest.

That decision would be made after consultation with federal and provincial governments and health authorities.

“We are aware that the very real possibility exists that we won’t play this year but as they say, hope springs eternal, and we’re going to try and keep a positive attitude and hope that somehow, someway we will play in 2020,” Ambrosie said.

The Roughriders also won’t be playing the Toronto Argonauts in Halifax as part of Touchdown Atlantic as had been planned.

That game, which was scheduled for July 25, has been cancelled.

Ambrosie said the league continues to ask for advice and look into multiple scenarios for the season, including hub cities.

“I think Regina and Saskatchewan would make some sense at several levels (to be a hub city),” Reynolds said. “The stadium speaks for itself and (so does) the infrastructure here in the city, but as well just the low number of (COVID-19) cases.”

Ambrosie said the league will re-evaluate its business model and find ways to succeed and thrive in the future.

“We are looking at all possible ways to ensure that we survive this crisis and that we come back bigger, stronger and better than ever in 2021,” Ambrosie said. “It’s survive the crisis — that’s our strategy — and then set ourselves up to thrive in the future.”

Reynolds said there are still discussions about what sort of impact this pandemic will have on sports in the future.

Reynolds said the Roughriders decided to not renew the lease on their Northgate Mall Rider Store location, closing it down. Two salaried employees were let go and all full-time hourly staff have been laid off from that location.

Season-ticket refunds on missed game

With the possibility of the season not starting until September, Roughriders season-ticket holders will get to decide how they may want to have their money refunded from the missed games.

One of the options is a refund for the games missed.

Another option includes an account credit which can be used on additional seats in 2020, to upgrade seats to premium, on 2021 season tickets or donate the money to frontline workers.

A person could also receive a Rider Store gift card for 110 per cent of the value of the credit.

There is also an option to become a Riders 2020 Champion, which would include a locker room tour led by Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day and special recognition at the first game back.

Season-ticket holders who already purchased Grey Cup tickets will get a refund but will leave a $50 deposit to secure seats for the 2022 Grey Cup. If a person would like that $50 back if they are unsure they can make the game in 2022, Reynolds said a refund of that amount will also be given.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an amended version of the story, correcting the requirements to be the host team of the 2020 Grey Cup game.