Cowtown countdown: the Calgary Stampeders’ 2021 season schedule

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

The Calgary Stampeders kick-off the 2021 season against Mike Reilly and the B.C. Lions at McMahon Stadium.

Bo Levi Mitchell welcomes Reilly in a showdown of star signal-callers.

“After the disappointment of losing the 2020 season, we’re all looking forward to returning to the field in 2021 and seeing our great fans back in the stands at McMahon stadium,” president and general manager John Hufnagel said.

“The competition within the West has always been strong and the increase in games within the division means our rivalries with Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and BC will be even more intense in 2021.”

Key points of the Stampeders schedule:

• • Division play is emphasized in 2021 with 12 games against West rivals (up from 10 in 2019). The Stamps will play each divisional opponent three times with Edmonton and Winnipeg each making two visits to McMahon Stadium and the Stamps making two trips to both BC and Saskatchewan. Six of the Stamps’ first seven games will be against division rivals
  • Calgary plays a total of six games against the East Division with home dates with Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto and road games against Hamilton, Montreal and Toronto
  • First action at McMahon Stadium will be on Sunday, May 23 when the Stampeders play host to the BC Lions in a pre-season contest
  • The regular season kicks off on Saturday, June 12, with the Lions providing the opposition at McMahon
  • The home schedule features four Friday-night games and three on Saturday
  • The CFL’s Thursday Night Football series is back for another season including one date at McMahon Stadium – July 22 against Winnipeg
  • One of the great traditions in football continues on Sept. 6 when the Stamps play host to their archrivals from Edmonton in the Labour Day Classic
  • The Red and White play back-to-back games against their two biggest rivals – with Saskatchewan in Weeks 2 and 3 and the annual Labour Day home-and-home series with Edmonton in early September
  • The Stampeders take the field for the Hall of Fame Game in Hamilton on Saturday, Aug. 7. The most recent Hall of Fame class celebrates six new members including four inductees with ties to Calgary – Henry Burris, Fred Childress, John Hufnagel and Greg Vavra
  • The 18-game regular season is once again spread over 21 weeks, with three byes for each team. Calgary’s byes are in Weeks 2, 12 and 18
  • The regular season concludes on Friday, Oct. 29 at McMahon as the Stamps play host to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
  • For local fans looking to make plans on long weekends, the Stamps will be on the road or on a bye during the periods that Canada Day, Heritage Day and Thanksgiving will be observed

Pre-season

Sunday, May 23 2:30 p.m. BC
Saturday, May 29 2 p.m. at Edmonton

Regular season

Saturday, June 12 5 p.m. BC
WEEK 2 — bye week
Saturday, June 26 2 p.m. Saskatchewan
Thursday, July 1 7 p.m. at Saskatchewan
Saturday, July 10 2 p.m. at Toronto
Friday, July 16 8 p.m. at BC
Thursday, July 22 7 p.m. Winnipeg
Saturday, July 31 8 p.m. at Saskatchewan
Saturday, Aug. 7 5 p.m. at Hamilton
Friday, Aug. 13 7 p.m. Ottawa
Friday, Aug. 20 8 p.m. at BC
WEEK 12 — bye week
Monday, Sept. 6 2:30 p.m. Edmonton
Saturday, Sept. 11 5 p.m. at Edmonton
Friday, Sept. 17 7:30 p.m. Winnipeg
Friday, Sept. 24 5 p.m. at Montreal
Saturday, Oct. 2 5 p.m. Toronto
WEEK 18 — bye week
Friday, Oct. 15 7 p.m. Edmonton
Saturday, Oct. 23 2 p.m. at Winnipeg
Friday, Oct. 29 7:30 p.m. Hamilton

Playoffs

Sunday, Nov. 7 2:30 p.m. Western Semi-Final
Sunday, Nov. 14 2:30 p.m. Western Final

Grey Cup

Sunday, Nov. 21 4 p.m. Grey Cup in Hamilton