The Toronto Argonauts posted their best attendance figure for a home-opener in almost a decade as there were 17,902 fans on-hand for the team’s matchup against the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night.
This was the highest attendance Toronto has had for a home-opener since 2016 when they drew a crowd of 24,812. This game was not only the first played at BMO Field following the move from Rogers Centre but it was also played against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, meaning attendance was buoyed in part by visiting fans who made the trip up the QEW.
The Argonauts are coming off a Grey Cup win, which likely played a role in boosting attendance on Friday. The first 10,000 fans through the gates were given replica Grey Cup rings, while the pregame fanfare included the raising of a new banner.
After the Argonauts won the Grey Cup in 2022, they had a crowd of 15,967 at their home-opener the following year. In 2024, Toronto had 12,767 fans at their first home game, meaning this season saw a 40.2 percent increase in attendance year-over-year.
The crowd in Toronto was still the smallest of the eight CFL home-openers so far this year — Edmonton’s home-opener will take place on Thursday — but it marks another step in the right direction. In 2024, the Argonauts averaged 15,127 fans across their home games, marking their best average attendance since 2016.
The Argonauts weren’t able to use the crowd to their advantage, losing to the Stampeders by a score of 29-19. Nick Arbuckle, starting in place of an injured Chad Kelly, threw for 309 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, while rookie running back Miyan Williams rushed nine times for 62 yards. Defensively, linebacker Cameron Judge led the way with seven tackles.
The Toronto Argonauts (0-2) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-0) at BMO Field on Friday, June 20 with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT.
