BC Lions to play CFL regular-season game in Victoria next summer: report

The BC Lions are taking their show on the road.

The Lions, CFL, and City of Victoria sent out a media release this morning about a “major announcement” taking place Wednesday in the provincial capital. Among those in attendance will be CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie, mayor of Victoria Marianne Alto, and Lions owner Amar Doman.

Fans have been speculating all morning since the 8 am press release went out, but it appears TSN’s Farhan Lalji has found the answer. The CFL insider is reporting that the Lions are expected to play a regular-season game next summer in Victoria.

Hearing the #BCLions are expected to play one of their regular season games next summer in Victoria. #TouchdownPacific anyone? @CFLonTSN https://t.co/59bcNMDAX1

— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) November 28, 2023

The CFL has held a number of regular-season games outside of the league’s nine home cities in recent years.

Halifax hosted a game between the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders in July. Those same two teams played a regular-season game in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, in 2022, while Moncton hosted the Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes in 2019.

The best outdoor facility in the Greater Victoria area is Starlight Stadium, the home of Rugby Canada and CPL club Pacific FC, in Langford. The stadium has a capacity of 6,000, though perhaps it could be expanded with temporary seating if the CFL chooses it.

The Lions have had a resurgence in the Vancouver marketplace over the last two seasons, with the team averaging over 23,000 fans per game for the first time in nine years. They’ve also paid special attention to their fans on Vancouver Island and in the Interior, offering free transportation to Lions games.

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