Edmonton Elks make bid to host 2028 Grey Cup game

Photo: Bob Butrym/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Edmonton Elks have put their hat in the ring for a chance to host the 2028 Grey Cup.

On Thursday, local businessman Ken Franczek, the general manager of Crystal Glass Canada, announced that he had chaired the committee to bid for the event and had just concluded the pitch to the CFL league office in Toronto.

“Been keeping this close to my chest for months! Honoured to chair the Elks 2028 Grey Cup Bid Committee. Yesterday in Toronto, our incredible board & team presented the bid we worked so hard on,” Franczek wrote on X. “Now we wait. Wish us luck hoping to bring the Grey Cup back to Edmonton!”

Franczek also shared a photograph of the presentation team, which included Elks team president Chris Morris.

Hosting rights for the Grey Cup are currently awarded via an internal bidding process two years in advance. Edmonton previously bid to host the 2026 game at Commonwealth Stadium, but lost out to provincial rival Calgary. It is unclear if they submitted a bid for 2027.

The Elks would appear to be a strong candidate for a Grey Cup in the near future, as the CFL has prioritized giving new ownership groups or franchises that have invested in new stadiums the ability to host as soon as possible. The Thompson family, led by the late Larry Thompson, took over ownership of the franchise in 2024.

The Grey Cup was last played in Edmonton in 2018, drawing a crowd of 55,819. Five other cities have hosted the game since then, with only Ottawa (2017), Toronto (2016), and Montreal (2008) having waited longer. Due to stadium renovations in Montreal and Ottawa, neither team is likely to be a realistic bidder for 2028. It is unclear which other teams might be competing with the Elks.

The 113th Grey Cup is scheduled to be played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on November 15, 2026. Mosaic Stadium in Regina has been named the host for the game in 2027.