SASKATOON — Everyone who attends Saturday’s CFL pre-season game at Griffiths Stadium will long remember the Titan.

The Titan Display Screen, which is the largest mobile video board in North America, will be among the attractions surrounding the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ looming matchup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“It has been a long time since a Rider home game has been played without a video board,” Karina Peterson, the Roughriders’ Manager of Game Entertainment and Community, said on Friday. “Immediately after the decision was made to play a game in Saskatoon, that was a big conversation.

“I remember the day an e-mail about the Titan landed in everyone’s inbox. We saw the size of the Titan. There was this level of relief and excitement: ‘OK, we can pull this off in Saskatoon.’ ”

Success in that regard will allow the Roughriders to extend to 207 the number of consecutive home games with a video board.

The SaskTel MaxTron was unveiled on June 25, 2005, for the Roughriders’ regular-season opener against Winnipeg. The Green and White’s last home game without a video board was a pre-season matchup against the B.C. Lions on June 12, 2005.

Osasere Odemwingie, a rookie linebacker with the Roughriders, was only one day old the last time Saskatchewan played a home regular-season game without a video board (Oct. 18, 2004).

Such technology was merely a pipe dream when a CFL pre-season game was last played in Saskatoon.

On June 23, 1991 at Gordie Howe Bowl, an estimated 3,500 spectators watched the Roughriders edge Winnipeg 17-16.

Back then, the accompanying bells and whistles were at a minimum. Compare that to the current objective of bringing as much of the Mosaic Stadium vibe to Saskatoon as possible.

For example, Destination Bridge City (presented by Cameco) will kick off with Coors Light Party in the Park. Pre-game festivities are to begin at 2 p.m., just west of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ home stadium. The Roughriders-Bombers game is to begin at 5 p.m.

All 5,759 permanent seats at Griffiths Stadium were sold in just two hours. Standing-room tickets are AVAILABLE HERE.

“We’ve been planning this for a while,” President-CEO Craig Reynolds said. “We’re excited it’s here.

“The Huskies have been great. We’re taking over their stadium, but they’ve been really helpful.

“We want to make it feel like a Rider game day, too, so there has been a lot of work done to get pageantry here, to get sponsors involved and, obviously, to get the video screen here to be able to offer that experience to our fans.

“The Huskies have a great game-day experience, but we want to Riderize it, so that is where the bulk of the work has been done.”

Reynolds was among many Roughriders employees who pitched in on Friday to help the team prepare Griffiths Stadium for its first CFL pre-season game. Gordie Howe Bowl was the venue when the Roughriders and Blue Bombers met in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991.

“It feels hilarious to be standing here in front of a camera while three of our Directors are literally zip-tying scrim (banners attached to the fences) at the other end of the field,” Peterson told reporters, referencing Jenn Senger (Director, Ticket Sales and Operations), Kim Gallagher (Talent Management and People Operations) and Jacqueline Hurlbert (Marketing and Fan Engagement).

“It is all hands on deck. Not one person in our organization has said, ‘That’s not my job.’ This morning, we were setting up A-Frames and Craig was carrying them from one end to the other.

“I’m excited for Saturday, because you see the work we have been putting in come to life. It’s exciting to see this thing that was a big idea all of a sudden be executed.”

As Peterson spoke, a VIP tent was being erected behind the north end zone.

The makeshift Green and White Lounge will not impede fans from being able to circulate around the stadium, where standing-room space will be abundant.

Fans will actually be able to sit in some of the designated standing-room areas, which include the grass in front of and beside the east-side stands.

As well, a set of bleachers in the southwest corner of the stadium will be regarded as standing-room space — available on a first-come, first-sat basis.

“There are beer gardens and food trucks, all located in (the south) end zone,” Peterson added.

“We have all our entertainment teams travelling up for the game as well. The Rider Pep Band and the Cheer Team will be here performing. Gainer, of course, will be here as well.

“Of course, we have to look at different methods of doing things. Gainer’s touchdown cart can’t travel with us, obviously, so you’ll see Gainer out on his bike again for the game on Saturday. He’ll do his touchdown laps via the bike.”

Gainer will also be mingling at Coors Light Party in the Park, where fans can also enjoy inflatables for the kids, face painting, yard games, partner activations and the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation football toss. Those activities will be held where the Rally Alley is ordinary part of the Huskies’ pre-game program.

Not far away, walk-up tickets can be purchased on the west side of the U of S clubhouse — at the Graham Huskies Ticket Office. Roughriders ticket staff will be in the booths beginning on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are also available online and, for fans in the Regina area who plan to make the trip to Saskatoon, at the Roughriders’ Mosaic Stadium ticket office.

“I’m pumped to see and hear everybody out here,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “I’m going to look out my dorm room (on Saturday) and see how early people are at the beer gardens. That will kind of give me an idea of how loud (the fans) are going to be.

“Man, what an experience. I’m happy that these guys (at Coors Light Training Camp) will have an opportunity to hear Rider Nation.”