CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston confident Percival Molson Stadium turf will be replaced

Photo: Vincent Ethier/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The turf at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium has been a lingering issue in Montreal. With the current surface now more than a decade old and new field dimensions required for 2027, the CFL believes a solution is getting closer.

The Montreal Alouettes and McGill University recently stated they still don’t know exactly how the turf issue will be resolved ahead of next year. Asked about the situation during the State of the League on Friday, CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said the league expects the field to be replaced in time.

“We’ve been in touch with both McGill and the Montreal Alouettes and all three at the same time. Everyone understands that field needs to be replaced,” Johnston said. “That field is over 10 years old, and the momentum is there, and I’m confident it’s going to happen.”

The question goes beyond simply installing a new turf, but also whether the lines will be painted or stitched. The City of Regina recently announced that Mosaic Stadium, home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, will have stitched lines, forcing out the local U Sports team in the process. Johnston suggested the conversations are moving toward a more adaptable field in Montreal, one that would better accommodate the different events hosted at Percival Molson Stadium.

“There is strong momentum and progress towards a new field that would have painted lines and can accommodate anything, not just football,” Johnston said. “These are multi-use fields, so I’m very confident where that’s heading.”

Percival Molson Stadium is owned by McGill. The institution has been slow to upgrade the facility, despite a commissioned report last year dubbing the turf “dangerous” for players, and has made a number of deep cuts to its athletics department over the past several years. With U Sports electing not to adopt the CFL’s new field dimensions, there has been concern about whether McGill is willing to make significant changes to specifically accommodate their tenant, even if the cost of the alterations is covered in full or in part by the Alouettes.

When asked whether he would promise that all nine current CFL venues would be able to adapt to the upcoming structural changes, Johnston stopped short of a guarantee.

“We have full expectation that all nine clubs are going to have fields that reflect the guidelines of our expectations for 2027,” he said. “More discussions with all those clubs, and progress is being made.”

The Alouettes haven’t hosted a Grey Cup since 2008, when Olympic Stadium welcomed the league’s championship game. With major renovations underway at the Big O, Johnston was asked whether the Alouettes could move there once the building is ready and, more importantly, whether a Grey Cup could follow.

“Percival Molson Stadium is where the Montreal Alouettes play, but in terms of Grey Cups, we are looking forward to when Olympic Stadium renovations are complete,” Johnston said. “I think that’ll be a very attractive place to think about for future Grey Cups.”

For now, the more immediate concern is Percival Molson Stadium and getting its playing surface ready.