Without a Grey Cup Game to play this week, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the C-F-L made the highlight of 2020 Grey Cup Week Friday by announcing their “Comeback” schedule for 2021.
The pre-season will start Sunday, May 23 with Calgary at home to B-C and the regular-season will begin Thursday, June 10 with Winnipeg hosting Hamilton in a re-match of the 2019 Grey Cup Game that the Blue Bombers won.
As for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, they will visit Winnipeg May 28 and host the Bombers June 4 in pre-season action…both Fridays. The Green and White will open their regular-season schedule with a pair of Saturday games…on June 12 in Edmonton before welcoming Ottawa to Mosaic Stadium on June 19. The 108th Grey Cup Game is set for November 21 in Hamilton. Following is a news release from the Riders with all the details about their schedule…
DATE: November 20, 2020
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR20-065
CFL RELEASES ‘COMEBACK’ 2021 SCHEDULE
The Canadian Football League released its complete 2021 ‘comeback’ schedule this morning with a full 21-week season that will culminate with the 108th Grey Cup at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders kick off their regular season on the road in Edmonton on Saturday, June 12. A week later, the Club will return to Mosaic Stadium on Father’s Day weekend for its home-opener against the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Saturday, June 19.
“Over the last several months we have done a tremendous amount of work behind-the-scenes to get ready for the Green and White to be back on the field for the 2021 season,” said Craig Reynolds, President and CEO of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“This schedule reflects our ongoing plans to play football next year and how hopeful we are, with the help and guidance of our local health authorities, that our fans will be able to join us back home at Mosaic Stadium.”
A new feature of this year’s schedule is an additional divisional match-up to build regional rivalries while also reducing travel for players. This means that the Club will face the EE Football Team, the Calgary Stampeders and the B.C. Lions three times this season, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers twice.
The home schedule includes one Thursday night game – on Canada Day, one Friday night game and four ‘family-friendly’ games that start at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The Club will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the annual Labour Day Classic on Sunday, September 5 with a 4 p.m. kickoff, before returning to Winnipeg the next week for the rematch at 2 p.m. on September 11.
The Roughriders’ away schedule has them playing on the road on Friday (three games), and Saturday (six games).
Season tickets are already on sale to the public and current season ticket holders have been able to renew their seats since October 28.
Having already reducedticket pricesin several sections in the stadiumin 2020, theClub hasnowfrozen season ticket prices for2021andextended its early bird pricing until February. Newly introduced Family Pricing willcontinue next season alongside somenew and some familiar perks for our season ticket holders, including the ability to redeem unused tickets for the last game of the season, a coupon to treat a friend with a buy one, get one free ticket offer,anda three-month easy payment plan option.We’ve also brought back our popular Christmas gift card draw,and season ticket holders can secure their seats nowfor the 2022 Grey Cup with a $50per seatdeposit.
The Club is also pleased to offera newmulti-seasonticket package, the MVP Plan,withexclusivebenefits for those who join this excitingthree-yearprogram.MVPPlanholders willreceivean 18% discount offgameday prices,afree Riderjersey withan exclusiveMVPpatch ($170 value with free shipping in Saskatchewan), a$75.00 per seat discountoff full price2022 Grey Cup tickets,andonefreeregular seasongamein 2023!Accounts with four or moreseats will receive an additional free jersey.
Fans wishing to purchase season tickets for the 2021 season, and join our MVP Plan, can visit Riderville.com or contact the Rider Ticket Office at tickets@saskriders.com.
ROUGHRIDER SCHEDULE NOTABLES:
- The Green and White will showcase the 2021 hopefuls in their first pre-season game on Friday, May 28 in Winnipeg. The following week the Riders will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in their final pre-season match-up on Friday, June 4 at 7 p.m.
- The home opener at Mosaic Stadium will be Saturday, June 19 at 6 p.m. versus the Ottawa REDBLACKS. This will be the first time the Riders and the REDBLACKS will face off in a Rider home opener, but the pair did match up for the second game of the season in 2019 – a 44-41 shootout.
- The Club will have the opportunity to celebrate Canada Day with fans during its only Thursday night game this season falling on July 1.
- The Riders bye weeks all fall in the second half of the season with breaks slated for Weeks 11, 16 and 21.
- The 2021 schedule won’t keep the team away from home for any long periods of time, in fact, the schedule is an alternating balance of home and away games throughout the whole season.
- Rivalries galore! The Riders will play in three home and home series this season, one with Calgary in weeks 3 and 4, one with Edmonton in weeks 6 and 7 and once with Winnipeg in weeks 13 and 14. In addition, all three meetings between the Stamps and the Riders will occur over five weeks between week 3 and week 8.
- The changes to scheduling means that the Club will only play the Hamilton Tiger-Cats once this season, at home at Mosaic Stadium. The Riders will not travel to Tim Horton’s Field.
- The 56thannual Labour Day Classic will be played Sunday, September 5 at 4 p.m. The Riders have won 14 of the last 15 Labour Day matchups and hold a 37-18 advantage through the first 55 meetings.
