{"id":341261,"date":"2025-12-12T21:45:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T21:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/341261\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T21:45:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T21:45:09","slug":"roughriders-seeing-boost-in-ticket-sales-merch-after-grey-cup-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/341261\/","title":{"rendered":"Roughriders seeing boost in ticket sales, merch after Grey Cup win"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Craig Reynolds speaks during the Roughriders State of the Nation in 2025. Photo by Michelle Berg \/Saskatoon StarPhoenix<\/p>\n

Taylor Shire<\/p>\n

Regina Leader-Post<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Saskatchewan Roughriders<\/a>\u00a0are reaping the benefits of a Grey Cup championship.<\/p>\n

After winning their fifth title in franchise history and first since 2013 last month in Winnipeg, the CFL club has seen a massive uptick in merchandise sales of championship gear while season ticket sales have also increased.<\/p>\n

\u201cImmediately, it is merchandise for sure,\u201d Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds told the Leader-Post this week. \u201cThere was such a great response from our fans and I think this team meant a lot to our fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say (season ticket) trends are really, really positive. We\u2019ve sold over double the number of new season tickets than we had at the same point last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt positively impacts all areas of your of your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Obviously, right?<\/p>\n

Every CFL team \u2014 or any sports franchise for that matter \u2014 has the goal of winning a championship every season for that exact reason.<\/p>\n

And while there are massive benefits as mentioned, there are also plenty of costs associated with playing in \u2014 and winning \u2014 a championship.<\/p>\n

While the CFL covers some expenses of playing in the Grey Cup, at least on the football operations side of things, the Roughriders incurred several expenses during the week in Winnipeg which included travel and accommodations for nearly all staff.<\/p>\n

The team now also has to design Grey Cup rings and plan a banner-raising ceremony, among other things.<\/p>\n

All welcomed costs \u2014 but still costs when it comes to the balance sheet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty expensive to go to the Grey Cup and it\u2019s pretty expensive to win the Grey Cup,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cAll expenses that obviously, as an organization, we\u2019re happy to incur.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen certainly every year so you want to make sure that, as an organization, we\u2019re doing things right. We wanted our entire organization to have an opportunity to be at the game and experience that.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll those things come with a cost. There\u2019s playoff bonuses; those types of things that are built into the (collective bargaining agreement) and coaches and football ops contracts.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then obviously the big one coming up is Grey Cup rings. But like I said, all expenses, you\u2019re happy as an organization to pay for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the\u00a0club generated $2.1 million in 2024<\/a>, Reynolds said they are forecasting \u201cpositive revenue\u201d for 2025.<\/p>\n

Further into season ticket sales, after seeing three straight years of decline out of the pandemic, the Roughriders were able to see positive season ticket sales in 2025 \u2014 up to more than 15,500 in the stadium that holds 33,500.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were fortunate enough in 2025 to reverse what was a trend that came up straight out of the pandemic,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cWe actually had a net increase last year, which is exactly what we had hoped, and were working to try to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reynolds \u2014\u00a0who said last year the club\u2019s biggest challenge was building up the season-ticket base<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 noted early projections will see those numbers rise in 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s just building on this momentum,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cAnd I think it\u2019s probably the same challenge (as last year), is being able to grow our season ticket base coming off of what was a historic season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s the challenge in most sports leagues nowadays is gate receipts and getting people out to the games. And I think that will continue. We\u2019re seeing great early momentum and success, but it\u2019s around, how do we capitalize on this excitement and the pride that I think we\u2019re seeing about the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so that\u2019s our off-season challenge and objective, and we\u2019re excited to kind of dig in there and tackle that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the release of the 2026 CFL schedule this week, we know\u00a0the Riders will open the new season on June 13 at Mosaic Stadium<\/a>\u00a0against the B.C. Lions when the 2025 Grey Cup banner will be raised in the north end zone.<\/p>\n

It will also be the first time fans are able to tailgate in the parking lot next to Mosaic Stadium before home games after the Saskatchewan government introduced the\u00a0tailgating legislation earlier this year.<\/a><\/p>\n

While season ticket holders will have a chance to enjoy pre-game festivities that are very popular in other markets, the Roughriders are hammering out the final details of what that will look like. It will also give the club a chance to modify their pre-game party in Confederation Park just outside of the stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working through with the REAL district and the city on determining exact location (for tailgating),\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cOne of the things we\u2019re talking about is, it might allow us to just focus (Confederation) park on really a more family-friendly entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is that way right now, but I think this might allow us to just move even more in that direction, where that\u2019s sort of the family, kid-focused entertainment and experience, and then you\u2019ve got the tailgating, which provides, that sort of experience kind of adjacent to it and all in close proximity to the stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the Roughriders are focusing on the work that needs to be done for 2026, next year the club will also begin planning ahead to 2027, as stadiums across the CFL will need alterations as the league is shortening the dimensions of the field while moving the goalposts to the back of the end zone.<\/p>\n

That could mean a facelift for the field turf at Mosaic Stadium next off-season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve started some early conversations with the city,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cWe\u2019re also hosting Grey Cup in 2027 so there\u2019s a natural sort of conversation there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is our turf by 2027, it\u2019ll be 10 years old, so probably at a point where best practice would say you\u2019d want to be looking at replacing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I think those are the conversations that we\u2019ll need to have with the city as owners of Mosaic.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the football operations side of the department is currently busy\u00a0re-signing pending free agents<\/a>\u00a0and dealing with contract negotiations, there\u2019s plenty of tasks to complete on the business side as well in the weeks and months ahead, while also continuing to arrange Grey Cup visits to various places across the province before they give the trophy back to the league in April.<\/p>\n

And while Reynolds said the organization is still \u201cbuzzing\u201d from last month\u2019s Grey Cup win, preparations for next season are well underway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s lots of work to do and your off-season is shortened a little bit just because you played in the Grey Cup and obviously (had) the week of celebration following that,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t take long before you turn the page in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

tshire@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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