For the fifth time and for the first time since 2010, the Grey Cup will be held on The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton in 2018.
Officials from the Canadian Football League along with the Edmonton Eskimos, the City of Edmonton, and the province of Alberta made the formal announcement on Monday afternoon that the 106th Grey Cup presented by Shaw will be hosted by the City of Edmonton in 2018.
The chairman of the CFL Board of Governors and Acting Commissioner Jim Lawson says Edmonton is the right host for the 2018 Grey Cup game.
“We’ve moved into a bidding process now for the Grey Cup and certainly, in light of all the factors, one of them being revenue, the success of 2010, as was mentioned here numerous times,” Lawson said.
“Just the sense of the volunteerism that makes this go and just the passion. And at a time where we want to attract a big crowd and a big TV audience and we know Edmonton will put on a great show.”
In 2010, the Grey Cup game sold out in just six days and 173 days before the Grey Cup game. The event generated $73 million in revenue and is projected to exceed well over $80 million in 2018.
Duane Vienneau served as the executive director of the 2010 Grey Cup Festival and will return in the same capacity for 2018. He remembers how the event grew in 2010.
“The last time we did this event, it evolved,” Vienneau said. “We started thinking the festival was just going to be in (Churchill) Square downtown and it turned out to be, when it was all said and done, four blocks that we shut down and we added the zip line. Just all these different ideas that just sort of come together as you start the planning process.
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“I can tell you we are always looking to do it bigger and better than the time before.”
Eskimos receiver Chris Getzlaf played in the Grey Cup game in 2010 in Edmonton with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who lost 21-18 to the Alouettes. He remembers the atmosphere at Commonwealth Stadium well.
“It was impressive. There was a great turnout,” Getzlaf said. “It was loud and we got some decent weather that year, which is something you look forward to at the end of November. It was overall a great experience. Obviously, it didn’t end the way I would have liked.”
In 2002, the Eskimos hosted and played in the Grey Cup Game, losing 26-16 to the Montreal Alouettes in front of 62,351 fans. Head Coach Jason Maas was the backup quarterback then and says hosting another Grey Cup will be good for the city.
“It just makes it special for the city, to be quite honest with you,” Maas said.
“You want to defend your own stadium, your own turf, and you don’t want anyone to be in your locker room.
“That’s the motivation more than anything as a player is you don’t want anyone to step into your own locker room. Our goals never change no matter where that Grey Cup is being played but it’s a special thing for the city.”
Tickets for the 2018 Grey Cup game will be available in the spring. Eskimos President and CEO Len Rhodes says Commonwealth Stadium gives the ticket-buying public an advantage because the stadium doesn’t need to be reconfigured.
“It’s turn key; open the doors and the people will come and all these seats that are going to be filled, it’s going to be spectacular,” Rhodes said.
“When you’re talking about 56,000 — that’s the capacity for 2018 — it’s going to be fabulous.
“Something very important to mention is that our pricing strategy is going to be built around filling the stadium. It’s going to be pretty similar to what we did in 2010 from a strategy standpoint. Tickets will start at $99 and for a season seat holder, will be a maximum of $299. For those who don’t have season seats, prices will start at $99 to $325. It’s priced to sell out.”
The province announced funding of $1.5 million over a two-year period in support of Edmonton hosting the 2018 Grey Cup game.
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