Olympic Stadium is the first facility out of the gate to express a desire to host NFL games in Canada.
After the NFL stated the league would love to play regular season games in Canada, Montreal Olympic Park vice president Alain Larochelle wants his building to be considered.
“We would be very interested in hosting an NFL game and we are eager to show the numerous planned investments and the many possibilities of the Montreal Olympic Stadium to the promoters around the globe,” Larochelle said in a statement.
“The Montreal Olympic Stadium has a rich history with North American football, especially with the CFL, the Grey Cup and the Montreal Alouettes, who still holds the record for the largest sport attendance in the history of the Stadium.”
In the past, there have been two NFL pre-season games played at Olympic Stadium, but it’s been over three decades. The New York Jets beat the Cleveland Browns 11-7 on August 18, 1988, while the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New England Patriots on August 9, 1990. Montreal has never hosted a regular season NFL game.
The NFL’s enhanced 17-game regular season will ensure that beginning in 2022, every franchise will play internationally at least once every eight years. The scheduling of up to four neutral site games per year in a country outside the United States will focus initially on Canada, Europe, Mexico, South America and the United Kingdom.
“Obviously, we have limited inventory, limited number of games but Canada is a very important market,” commissioner Roger Goodell said.
“We have a tremendous fanbase in Canada we actively serve, and we would love to play regular season games in Canada,” executive vice president, chief strategy and growth officer Christopher Halpin said.
The Big O has a seating capacity of 66,308, which is the biggest of any stadium in Canada.
