It may officially be a “road” game for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but don’t tell that to the sea of green expected to flood Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday for the 112th Grey Cup.
In an unusual twist, the Canadian Football League decided to rotate home and away designations for future Grey Cups. That decision means, despite being the West Division champion, the Riders will wear their road whites against the East champion Montreal Alouettes.
The change comes after at least four consecutive Grey Cups have been hosted in Western markets.
Head Coach Corey Mace isn’t too concerned about the designation or the venue.
“I’d be lying to say that we didn’t bring that up at some point in the year, but we’re grateful to be here in this game, wherever it was, honestly. Now, what’s really cool about this location is how easily our fan base can get here. That’s what I think is really cool for Rider Nation to be able to get here.”
That proximity could prove important. Princess Auto Stadium is, of course, home turf for the rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where Rider fans are usually met with more boos than cheers. The vast majority of tickets for the Grey Cup were snapped up by Blue and Gold supporters, leaving both the Alouettes and Riders vying for support from the neutral ground.
Even in a so-called “hostile” environment, no CFL team travels quite like Saskatchewan. Whether it’s Vancouver, Calgary, or even Toronto, green and white jerseys always find their way into the stands.
Montreal Alouettes veteran linebacker Darnell Sankey says the team can feel that support no matter where they go.
“It’s a blessing that we have fans who are even willing to come out here or locally here that root for us. But if the tables turned and Saskatchewan had the majority, it wouldn’t matter because we got to play a football game. It’s going to be a clash of titans, and we’re excited.”
Montreal’s special teams ace Alex Gagné, who spent three seasons in Saskatchewan, says he has seen firsthand the passion of Rider Nation on the road.
“They’re passionate. They are really, really passionate. I was in Toronto, eating breakfast before a game, I was wearing green and white. It was time to pay the bill, but some fans paid it for us. We were just special team guys, and they recognized us and said, ‘Hey, have a good game.’ That was something special for me. They really know everything about the game, their team, and it was a fun place to play during those three years. It’s going to be passionate for sure.”
Montreal receiver James Letcher Jr. is trying to recruit some new fans in enemy territory, but he has a sense of who will be the majority.
“It’s a long way from Montreal, so I don’t know how many fans will get here. But the Winnipeg fans — the people at the airport and everybody helping us out — they’ve been great, and I really appreciate them. We love to see them cheering for the blue, but if they want to cheer for green, that’s fine, too.”
Roughriders’ quarterback Trevor Harris, playing in his first Grey Cup as a Rider, was asked what he might say to convince the Winnipeg faithful to back Saskatchewan for a day. He smiled and kept it simple.
“I don’t know that they’d buy anything that I’d sell them. They don’t like the green. But shoot, keep it in the West, right?”
The Riders and Alouettes square off Sunday in what’s expected to be a picture-perfect November day for football.
And while the Alouettes might be technically “home,” if history has taught us anything, it’s that Rider Nation doesn’t need a home designation to make themselves heard.
You can hear the 112th Grey Cup across the 620 CKRM Co-operators Rider Broadcast Network, starting with Countdown to Kickoff at 2 p.m.
