{"id":797990,"date":"2026-07-12T23:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T23:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/797990\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T23:29:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T23:29:18","slug":"chad-kelly-expresses-frustration-with-toronto-argonauts-unprecedented-road-schedule-fifa-world-cup-displacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/797990\/","title":{"rendered":"Chad Kelly expresses frustration with Toronto Argonauts’ ‘unprecedented’ road schedule, FIFA World Cup displacement"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto courtesy: CFL.ca<\/p>\n

Chad Kelly appears to have reached the end of his rope when it comes to the Toronto Argonauts\u2019 nomadic existence in 2026.<\/p>\n

The star quarterback opened up about the unique challenges his team is facing following Friday\u2019s 30-21 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers<\/a>, attributing some of the team\u2019s errors to a lack of energy due to their current situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is obviously something unprecedented. No professional team has had to do what we\u2019re doing right now with five straight away games, back-to-back-to-back leaving the East to go West, and it\u2019s not easy. It\u2019s definitely not easy. I think we\u2019ve got to dig down. We\u2019ve got Hamilton next; that\u2019s close by. We have to just make it happen. We\u2019ve got to make it work,\u201d Kelly told the media<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI hate to say it, we just keep figuring out a way to lose right now, and we\u2019ve got to get on the winning end. But, like I said before, it\u2019s not easy what we\u2019re doing. We\u2019re travelling so much every single day. Some guys are living in Toronto and driving an hour. This is something that\u2019s very hard. It\u2019s very hard from top to bottom, and we\u2019re dealing with it, trying to make it the best we can work. It\u2019s just what it is right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Argonauts have been unable to utilize their home stadium, BMO Field, this season due to the FIFA World Cup.\u00a0 Toronto played host to six matches at the venue, with the last occurring on July 2 when Portugal defeated Croatia in the Round of 32. However, the stadium remains unavailable while construction takes place to remove temporary stands<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Unlike the B.C. Lions, who erected a pop-up stadium in Kelowna<\/a> in order to play two home games during their World Cup eviction from Vancouver, the Argonauts have elected to spend their first seven games entirely on the road. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the franchise\u2019s ownership group, struck a deal with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats to place a \u201chome\u201d game in each of their stadiums<\/a>, giving the team additional games in arguably the three toughest road venues in the CFL.<\/p>\n

Because BMO Field also serves as the Argonauts\u2019 practice field and main offices, day-to-day operations have been transplanted 86 kilometres away to the campus of the University of Guelph<\/a>. Alumni Stadium, home of the Gryphons, hosted one preseason game for the team, but was not deemed to be worth expanding for regular-season action. That has left Toronto\u2019s roster with a sizeable daily commute, with a cross-country plane ride as their weekly reward.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people are driving an hour to work. Some people it takes two hours to get home from work. You\u2019re not able to see your regular people, whether it\u2019s your massage therapist, your chiropractor, getting a haircut, doing therapy outside of work,\u201d Kelly explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of just rushing all the time, you can kind of plan your weeks out on the move when you\u2019re back home. Not having to set things up and knowing the night before you\u2019re about to leave the next morning, you\u2019re packing. Staying in your bed the night before a game, having the right food. We\u2019re eating Guelph\u2019s food, and, obviously, it\u2019s fantastic, but it\u2019s also college food. Being a professional, we gotta do everything that professionals need to do. I know once we get to BMO, it\u2019ll be different.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a bye in Week 1, the Argonauts have now played five consecutive road contests. They\u2019ve won two of them, defeating Ottawa and upsetting Saskatchewan in their first fake \u201chome\u201d game. They\u2019ll face two more trips to make it seven straight weeks on the road before a Week 9 bye. They will not return to BMO Field until Thursday, August 6.<\/p>\n

Prior to the season, Toronto\u2019s staff attempted to downplay the potential negative effects of this portion of the schedule<\/a>, spinning it as a positive due to the added opportunities for team bonding. Head coach Mike Miller still believes it isn\u2019t a major issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know what the schedule is coming in. As we said, I don\u2019t care what field it is; just put the ball down and tell me what down it is,\u201d he insisted. \u201cOur guys are mentally tough. We\u2019re proud of that. We continue to get closer as a team, which is what this has afforded us.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Kelly, that toughness has been pushed to the brink, and players are anxious for their enforced homelessness to end.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re being honest, there\u2019s a lot of guys, myself included, that are looking forward to getting back to BMO, but we have to get back to that 1-0 mentality,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just being able to focus one play at a time, one day at a time, one snap at a time, and all the things will come to what we need it to be. We gotta just regroup, whether it\u2019s taking an extra day to really think things over and figure things out, but it\u2019s a whole process. It\u2019s everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

This week, at least, the journey will be a short one. The Argonauts will play their final \u201chome away from home\u201d game at Hamilton Stadium, which could allow some fans to make the trip up the QEW to combat the hordes in black and gold.<\/p>\n

While Kelly acknowledged that the shorter road trip was a small relief, it isn\u2019t a week off.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, they\u2019re no slouch either. They\u2019re gonna bring the energy,\u201d he stressed. \u201cThey have a great team and great coaches over there. We\u2019re just gonna have to pick it up on all sides of the football and play complementary football. We\u2019ve got to get back to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kickoff between the Argonauts (2-3) and Tiger-Cats is slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 18.<\/p>\n

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J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.<\/p>\n

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