Proposed Quebec City CFL expansion team could host two Grey Cups in first 10 seasons: report

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Forget about Carnaval; Canada’s biggest party could be coming to Quebec City twice in the next 15 years.

According to a report from Dominic Maurais of CHOI 98,1 RADIO X, the prospective ownership group behind the proposed CFL expansion franchise in the provincial capital has been assured that it will host a Grey Cup in 2033, should the team launch as planned. They may also be granted hosting rights for a second Grey Cup game within the first 10 years of their existence.

In a separate report, Stéphane Cadorette of Le Journal de Québec confirmed that two Grey Cups within a decade were in the works for Quebec City, though his source felt that the formal date of 2033 was “premature,” but “not impossible.”

The CFL board of governors unanimously voted in favour of a potential expansion franchise in Quebec City last month. The team would be majority-owned by local real estate mogul William Trudel, with the potential for minority partners. Trudel has reportedly agreed to pay a $25 million expansion fee, but needs approval for construction of an appropriately sized stadium for the team to move ahead.

Multiple reports have indicated that a proposed 25,000-seat venue could be completed on the site of the old Colisee as early as 2030, with a CFL team set to begin play soon after. However, others have suggested that the team could launch prior to that date and temporarily coexist with the Laval Rouge et Or at Stade Telus for a season.

Quebec City’s existing football fanbase has long made it an intriguing destination for the CFL, though previous forays into the market have been met with mixed reviews. A 2015 exhibition game between Montreal and the Ottawa Redblacks drew just 4,778 fans at Laval. In 2003, a crowd of 10,358 attended a preseason clash between the Alouettes and the Ottawa Renegades.

Hosting rights for the Grey Cup are currently awarded via an internal bidding process two years in advance. However, the CFL has prioritized giving new ownership groups or franchises that have invested in new stadiums the ability to host as soon as possible. Vancouver hosted the 2024 Grey Cup after Amar Doman took ownership of the team in 2021. The Edmonton Elks are expected to be one of the bidders for the 2028 Grey Cup after the Thompson family took over ownership in 2024.

The Grey Cup has not been played in the province of Quebec since 2008, when Montreal hosted it at Olympic Stadium. That represents the single longest active hosting drought for any CFL market. Toronto, which last hosted in 2016, has the second-longest gap between championship games.

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.