The Canadian Football League is bringing the Grey Cup back to McMahon Stadium despite concerns about the outdated nature of the venue.
Following the last championship game hosted by Calgary in 2019, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie stated that the league’s premier event would not return until it could take place “in a big, beautiful new stadium.” He reversed course on those comments on Friday, awarding the Stampeders the rights to the 113th Grey Cup, which will be played in 2026.
“Grey Cups are about a lot of things, including the stadium. But it’s also about the festival, the city’s ability to bring people together, and the league’s ability to bring people together. That cannot be questioned. This city does that incredibly well,” Ambrosie said. “New field turf is being laid as we speak and that’s where the real story gets told. We are satisfied the city and the Stampeders will make the most out of this facility.”
“When we look back to 2019, it was a really successful Grey Cup. It was an exciting game, and the stadium put on a good show and I’m looking forward to seeing what they will do over the next couple years in preparation for the 2026 Grey Cup.”
Built in 1960, McMahon is among the league’s oldest stadiums and lacks many of the amenities enjoyed by other fanbases across the league. While the building has undergone several minor renovations over the years, it has long been at the centre of replacement talks that have been stone-walled at the municipal and provincial levels.
Despite bringing Friday’s announcement, Ambrosie has not changed his stance that a new stadium is needed in the long run.
“I won’t back away from the fact that I believe the city needs a new stadium for the CFL and the Calgary Stampeders,” he said. “It would be disingenuous to say anything else.”
Stampeders’ president Jay McNeil said that there had been no discussions about a replacement for McMahon while team ownership, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, negotiated a new arena for their NHL team, the Flames. Now that construction has begun on that venue, Scotia Place, he is ready to push for those conversations with anyone who will listen.
Alberta Minister of Tourism and Sport, Joseph Schow, who was in attendance to announce a $4 million contribution to the Grey Cup festival, suggested there was a willingness to discuss funding for a new home for the Stampeders. However, he made clear that no plan was currently in the works. Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek dodged direct questions about McMahon while talking up the city’s other world-class amenities.
“The commissioner and I are very excited about the announcement today,” she replied. “Any talks about what happens in the future are ones that I am happy to engage in, but today is about celebrating the fact that we will be hosting the Grey Cup in ’26, which is big news for the team and its fans.”
McNeil was very direct in addressing the McMahon Stadium Society, which runs the stadium on behalf of the University of Calgary, clarifying that there have been “discussions, but not plans” about how to accommodate the game. He hinted that renovations over the next two years could include “bumping out” the concourses to allow for more washrooms as well as food and beverage options.
Also planned are temporary suites in the north end zone, duplicating the setup from 2019. Previous Grey Cups in Calgary had seen as many as 50,000 seats with the added bleachers but by going to suites instead, only about 35,000 tickets could be available this time.
Optimism was the key message for the Stampeders organization, as McNeil and the rest of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation will count on this announcement to help buoy season ticket sales. After several years of organizational decline, attendance dropped marginally in 2024 with the eroding McMahon making them a tough sell to ticket buyers.
“It’s been a tough two years,” McNeil admitted. “Having some good news for the city of Calgary and our fans to get behind is exciting.”
Overall, Calgary’s Grey Cup bid was described as inevitable. Despite competition from Edmonton, decision-makers felt there was no better choice once the league was presented with the plan.
Stakeholders hope that is truly the case, considering the venue is possibly the worst option in the league to host a major event.
