Calgary Stampede teases new CFL stadium idea at 20-year master plan announcement

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders

The Calgary Stampede and its namesake CFL team are exploring the possibility of collaborating on a new stadium.

The idea was floated publicly on Wednesday during a press conference laying out a 20-year plan to upgrade Stampede Park. CEO Joel Crowley told reporters that the organization plans to erect a new infield grandstand building to the east of GMC Stadium to facilitate more premium seating and is assessing whether the Calgary Stampeders could be accommodated as part of the renovations.

“It’s no secret that McMahon (Stadium) is probably beyond its expiration date, and so this does contemplate that potential,” Crowley said.

Built in 1960, McMahon Stadium is located on campus at the University of Calgary in the northwest area of the city. The venue is the full-time host of the Stampeders, the Dinos football team, and Calgary Wild FC of the Northern Super League (NSL), but is widely viewed as outdated and incompatible with modern professional sports.

While the building has undergone several minor renovations over the years, it has long been at the centre of replacement talks that have been stonewalled at the municipal and provincial levels. The CFL and the Stampeders have publicly acknowledged that a new stadium is required, though no timeline has ever been provided.

Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, which owns the Stampeders, said it is intrigued by the plan and have spoken to Mayor Jeromy Farkas about the possibility.

“If you build it, maybe they will come. I think we would have a keen interest in that,” CSEC president and CEO Robert Hayes said.

“We talked about the Stampeders, and I said, ‘The stadium has passed its shelf life.’ I don’t think that’s a surprise to anybody, and the reality is that we only play there 10 games a year, and so it has to be a stadium that is going to be, in my opinion, anyway, city-led.”

Farkas also acknowledged the need for McMahon to be replaced, but indicated that any solution would need to work for multiple tenants in order to merit public funds.

“We have to find a solution for McMahon one way or another, and I would rather that happen sooner than later. Ultimately, if this piece of infrastructure continues to have significant issues around maintenance, we’re going to have a cost to dealing with it regardless,” he said.

“I think we need to strike a better balance than what we’ve seen in previous deals. But I’m open to public investment if there’s a public benefit and then a public return on that investment.”

GMC Stadium at Stampede Park currently seats 17,000, with room for an additional 8,000 in standing room. An expansion of the facility would bring it in line with smaller CFL venues, but would not come without challenges.

Crowley stated that the presence of a field would not be allowed to compromise the integrity of the horse track, due to the demands of thoroughbreds needing a consistent surface. The facility would also have to be able to quickly transition between Western events and field sports.

He revealed that he currently has napkin drawings of a layered field, akin to some European soccer stadiums, that would allow both to co-exist.

“Engineers will have to prove to me it won’t work. And of course, it will need to be priced,” he said. “But something where a field comes over the top so that you’re preserving the track, you’re preserving the rodeo arena, that’s the approach that would need to be taken.”

The overall plan for Stampede Park includes a live events zone on the site of the to-be-demolished Scotiabank Saddledome and a multipurpose venue to replace the Big Four Roadhouse. The goal is for all to be completed by 2046, though none of the proposals are set in stone.

It is unclear when the official verdict on a multi-purpose stadium could be made. 3DownNation has reached out to the Stampeders for comment and this article will be updated if one is provided.

McMahon Stadium is scheduled to host the 113th Grey Cup on Sunday, November 15, 2026.