Ottawa to stage preseason game at neutral site

[url=http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/01/14/ottawa-redblacks-court-2017-grey-cup]http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/01/14/ott ... 7-grey-cup[/url]

Where do you think they’ll play? London, Quebec City, Moncton? Isn’t Queen’s University getting a new stadium?

I would love for it to be in Kingston, if it's even remotely possible. I thought that was what they should have done last year.

I have been waiting to here some news about pre season games as several teams will not have their stadium available in June and Edmonton is the only team that have made plans way ahead of time. The Game in Fort Mac. EDM smartly negotiated with the CFL and TSN to make sure the game is televised on TSN and they got the Riders as their opponent.
QC sounds like a logical site vs Montreal but I think the days of dealing with Laval are over for the CFL. I had read somewhere that they were charging CFL outrages price for use of stadium.
Moncton may be an option. Returning the TD Atlantic for a pre season game and just leaving the 10K permanent seating.
It may be high time for a game in London. 9K capacity expandable to 16K.
Pan Am stadium in York is supposed to be done well ahead of the Games and are looking for other events prior to the games while the 12.5K seats are in place.

Training camp starts Sunday May 31, and the first FIFA game is Sunday June 7, so hosting a pre-season game at TD Place is definitely out of the question.

I agree CRF, putting it in Kingston would be ideal since it is the only other city within their territory that could host a game. However, their stadium may not be up to snuff since they're working with temporary bleachers. They're supposed to get a new stadium in time for 2016.

London should host a game. That would be an easy fix and could help grow CFL appeal in Ontario. Moncton is also hosting FIFA games, so they're not a pre-season option. Although if they have temporary stands up, a Touchdown Atlantic may be in order for the Argos.

I thought Pan Am Stadium was for athletics only? I don't think it is designed for football.

If it’s in Kingston, it will certainly save me a 2 hr. drive. :thup:

I am pretty sure Pan Am in York is built as multi-purpose for the University with the Lion’s playing their games there. So an Argo’s pre season game their opposed to Varsity would make sense with the extra seats up. At a 12.5 capacity it may also be a better option for the Argo’s playing in Moncton. Scheduling it shortly after the games before they take the temp seats out.
I agree a game at TD Waterhouse is long overdue now. Even the Argo’s having a regular season game at TD Waterhouse could be a better option than Moncton. It is still expandable to 16K. Having Hamilton as its opponent would make the best sense. Plus there are quite a few Mustangs for players across the league on CFL rosters.

Hamilton with two stars in Fantuz and Butler.

I wonder if Ottawa would consider playing their pre season game at McGill. It is the same distance from Kingston. Also playing Montreal as the visiting team could get more fans to the game. I am sure the Als would be more than happy to have both Pre Season games at their home stadium

If it is a neutral site game, it will be either Kingston or possibly Quebec City.

A great idea.
I have been saying for years there should be 3 pre season games per year.
One home and away and the third a neutral site game for one half of the teams with a rotation every year.
The third game should be a combination team playing in its territory or the league trying out a potential expansion site.

Honestly, I couldn't care any less if I never see an exhibition game at Lansdowne. Want the RedBlacks to be one of your travelling team in other markets? By all means.

BC also needs to find a place for their pre-season game.

Is Mont-Bleu a viably option? Put in a few thousand temp seats?
I know the endzones are only 15 yards with a retaining wall at the end. nothing padding doesn’t fix. But that would mean the game is still in the Ottawa area.

Probably needed is a 3rd pre season game but very unlikely it would happen. The problem with asking a team to have a neutral site pre season game in place of their home game is that season tickets are sold on the basis of 10 games. Thats big revenue built into the season ticket package, otherwise they would not make anything on pre season games.
This would have been an ideal year for the CFL to set neutral site pre season games because teams are forced out of their stadium’s.

Don't think it will be at Queens, though that would be a good option when their new stadium is built. Western/London or Moncton are probably the best places.

They will probably do what they did last year with Saskatchewan and play the game at the opponent's stadium. If I had a choice, I would like to see them go to London or Kingston.

I wonder if the RB's could get into the Laval stadium for their home exhibition game with the Montreal as the opponent. Might be a good test for that market eventually.

Yeah, but if it’s London, you are in enemy territory, especially if it’s vs the Ti-Cats as I know myself and many Ti-Cat fans would make the trip but it sucks for a team to lose a home game. Moncton would be interesting to have another game out East, but I think Kingston vs the Argos is your best bet. You’re still close enough to Ottawa to benefit from a home crowd, but have a chance of attracting Argo fans.

Ideally, they would want to play within driving distance of Ottawa so they don't have to worry about hotels etc and also so some of their fans can travel to the game. Kingston would be a good choice.

If there was to be some sort of splash made for a neutral site game. The CFL, Ottawa, Hamilton, BC, TOR have all missed the boat here. EDM is the only one that got there ducks in a row very early with a game in a nearby or neutral site. Fort Mac is not exactly a potential CFL site but it is a new stadium that is near EDM. The game is already marketed and sold out. The bigger factor is that they have already coordinated it with the CFL and TSN. They were able to work with the CFL to get the the Riders as there opponent. Which in turn has had TSN to commit to making this one of their pre season broadcasts. With the Ridrs being among the top ratings among all CFL teams now this in turn will bring out more $$$ for prime sponsor spaces on the field and with regular view of the TV cameras.
For the neutral site games that have been a part of the CFL pre season or regular season schedule the League has promoted and covered costs for the would be home team, securing a prime game day sponsor, and positive revenue for the host team.
Early pre season locations included QC and Halifax. Neither of which will happen. Complete non cooperation with Laval and no stadium in Halifax.
Montcon is also not available due to the WWC.
Being a pre season game it is not as important to have a home field crowd.
Important for Ottawa would be to keep the game in the east Ontario/Quebec where travel costs will be low and the CFL could possibly pay costs for Ottawa in obtaining a game sponsor. London would be a location vs the TiCats where there would be TiCat fans that would buy tickets. As well plenty of Western Players would be on one of the rosters. Stars like Fantuz and Butler. As well as others from this years draft and any Free agent camp players. Problem is Hamilton themselves may get this as their home game. With Mac and THF not fully available for TC. Hamilton could realistically hold part of camp at Western for the standard rate of CIS schools that host CFL teams TC and have the game their hem game during their time there.
Although TiCats already on a good relationship with Guelph could have both TC and Pre season game there.
Game Broadcast. But London's RogersTV already has a deal and set up at TD Waterhouse for Western games. TSN did allow Hamilton to Broadcast a home Pre Season game locally on Cable 14 cable which is a sister company of Rogers cable. So the game could be televised in London, Hamilton, and Ottawa on the RogersTV network and sister in Hamilton.

Option 2 could be at McGill in Montreal vs the Als. Close enough where Ottawa fans could go. especially with s few available tickets for REDBLACK games. Montreal fans may also attend with better seats that they may be able to get for regular season.
Travel cost would be a minimum. The standard train trip before and following the game leaves no lodging costs.
The Als may be very willing to trade a second pre season game at their home stadium eliminating any travel cost. In exchange charging Ottawa the minimal cost of to play a game at Mcgill with the $$$ saved on not having to travel.

Option 3 York Pan Am stadium with 12.5 expanded capacity in place. As far as I know the stadium will be done well in advance of the Pan Am games. while the seating is in place they are looking to host other events pre Pan Am. With Toronto butting very little effort into pre season likely will take the easy route of Varsity Stadium. Could be of some interest of the CFL to get a one off game there while they can. TSN as well may may have interest in broadcasting a game from a location in the GTA. That is if a team were interested. The CFL could possibly get together enough for a game day sponsor to pay all of Ottawa's costs.

The pre season schedule has Ottawa playing two games very early. One in Hamilton and the second their home game vs Montreal with the site TBA. I doubt that playing Montreal as there home game there will be a very good chance that the game could likely be at McGill in Montreal as it is one of the few stadiums that is not affected by either WWC or Pan Am games. A neutral site alternative city CFL city game sounds great but any site they may have in mind will be much further than Montreal and would require some very quick planning and promoting. While McGill is a CFL stadium.
Other teams have a worse situation with BC not having a date or a potential site yet as they would be the home team vs EDM.
EDM will play its opening game of the season as well as their pre season game at Fort Mac in Alberta. Toronto will be considered the home team. The Argo's do not play a regular season game in Toronto until August 8th.
Hamilton does not get a home game until they play a Monday Night game on Aug 3rd vs Toronto. So at least for Toronto they will be back home with a short drive to Hamilton.
EDM is the only Organization that thought well ahead for an alternative site near EDM and now they basically get an extra home game with TOR considered the home team for season opener at Fort Mac.
With the BC game with no clue of a date or venue EDM could actually get a 2nd pre season and 3rd overall game at Fort Mac.

I hears Jeff Hunt on The Drive with Dave Naylor saying that thei pre season game will be in Quebec City at Laval. He mentioned how Laval was being so cooperative. This is a really big change from Laval basically showing very little cooperation for years with the CFL. If true I wonder what their change of heart is now?
For Toronto having to go all the way to Alberta to play a "nuetral" site game vs EDM. Would have been a much better fit if they were able to have a game in QC vs Montreal instead.
Anyway is there any confirmation that Ottawa will host its pre season game in QC?