REGINA — For the first time in its history, the Vanier Cup will be played in Regina, which has the tourism industry excited.
Brad Gore, director of destination marketing with Tourism Regina, said this event is a wonderful national spotlight for the city and university sports.
“[It’s] a great way to showcase that kind of collegiate athletes at their best at the peak of football. And we know in Regina that people come out for football.”
With the Saskatchewan Huskies, a team based out of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, playing in the championship game, Vanier Cup officials said that has increased ticket sales.
“Having a team from our local province makes a big, big difference,” said Jodie Bray, who is on the committee for the Vanier Cup.
As of 2 p.m. on Friday, Bray said 4,928 general admission tickets have been sold, with 1,100 more tickets sold between the AGT lounge and suites.
Gore also noted the recent success of the Saskatchewan Roughriders winning the Grey Cup has created overall excitement for local football.
“You could tell people were still in the spirit; they were chanting slogans from the last victory.”
While current economic impact stats aren't available, the Vanier Cup in 2023 in London, Ont., managed to generate $2.4 million for the local economy.
This year’s Vanier Cup will also contribute to funding for the University of Regina (U of R) Rams.
“[The] revenue that's left will go towards a project for the Rams practice field to have a place where they can sit up in a box and coach from some better stands for people,” mentioned Bray.
Bray said the budget for the cup was roughly $240,000, with revenue at approximately $300,000.
The City of Regina contributed upwards of $55,000 for the cup through their reserve, while the U of R also pitched in additional money.
Gore mentioned these investments help attract more premier events, including the city hosting the Grey Cup in 2027.
With hosting premier events, Gore noted this gives the city a chance to show off its venues to executives of different leagues, which can be impactful in a bidding process.
The 2025 Vanier Cup between the Saskatchewan Huskies and Montreal Carabins gets underway on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.
