Out of McMahon, back on Campus: Dinos propose new multi-sport stadium

JAYDEN IMAGES - CHRIS LINDSEY UCALGARY PHOTO

A day where a state-of-the-art stadium is built on the west side of the University of Calgary campus, near university district, is closer than ever before.

The University of Calgary has begun the process towards a brand new stadium to be built on campus. Once complete, the facility, temporarily referred to as Dinosaur Stadium, could host multiple field sports, including football, soccer and rugby.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
• Read more sports news on the CTV News Calgary sports page

Though no exact numbers have been announced, the stadium has an anticipated capacity between 3,500 and 7,000. The school has already raised over $21 million to support the new construction.

Unlike their current home, Calgary’s McMahon Stadium, the Dinos’ new field will be open year-round and covered with an inflatable dome in the winter months, allowing for use in rain or shine.

Nick Holt, dean of the faculty of kinesiology at UCalgary said that when he started at the school in early 2023, a longterm home for Dinos’ field sports was one of the first things he heard about. Now, over three years later, things are beginning to fall into place.

“The reason why we’ve moved along the path is we’ve had tremendous support from the Calgary community. In particular the Fifth Quarter, our football alumni, have been incredible and people have come forward to pledge their support for the project and that is what has advanced us,” he said.

“We all realize that the we need a long term solution for Dinos field sports and McMahon Stadium has served as well, but it is not the long term future. A stadium on campus is something that’s really excited a lot of people.”

Though there’s no clear timeline on the stadium’s planning, construction and ultimate opening, Holt said it’ll be years, not decades.

According to the Government of Alberta website, the development is in the proposal stage. It has no official construction date, or final cost estimation available. The design phase for the project is expected to begin fall of 2026.

While not in the precise location where McMahon Stadium stands, Calgary’s proposed Foothills Multisport Fieldhouse project would take up a large portion of the McMahon footprint immediately to the north of the aging field.

Currently, the City of Calgary has about $120 million set aside for that project. There is no funding commitment for that multisport fieldhouse project from either the provincial or federal governments.

Calgary Stampeders long-term location is uncertain

As owners of the stadium for 41 years and guests for more than 60 years, the Dinos leaving MacMahon could be the first major step towards the facility’s end.

Though no official plans are in the works for the Stamps’ to move over to their namesake’s grounds, last month, while unveiling the Calgary Stampede’s 20-year master plan, Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley acknowledged that a future GMC Stadium could one day host field sports.

“It’s no secret that McMahon (Stadium) is probably beyond its expiration date, and so this does contemplate that potential,” he said.

For now, upgrades to the rodeo, chuckwagons and grandstand viewing experience are the only surefire thing coming to GMC Stadium, Cowley said at the time.

Before the venue is fully out of commission, it’ll be the hub of Canadian football this fall.

As announced in February, The Calgary Stampeders will host the Cenovus Energy 2026 Grey Cup Festival between Nov. 8-15. Throughout the week, festival events will take place at McMahon Stadium and Stampede Grounds, ending with the 113th Grey Cup game on Sunday, Nov. 15.

Jay McNeil, President of the Calgary Stampeders, said much of the nearly 66-year-old building will be new again.

In accordance with the CFL’s Grey Cup bidding system, the Stampeders will be building concourses out into parking lot spaces. They will also be increasing press facilities, and building 14 additional suites in the stadium’s north endzone.

Permanent facility upgrades are top of mind for Stamps staff, McNeil said. Grey Cup planning brought long-term conversations to the forefront.

“We’re all very aware that there are some challenges with McMahon Stadium. This certainly highlights that and gives us that opportunity to move forward.”

Throughout its lifetime, McMahon has been upgraded periodically. Renovations were done in 1975, 1979, throughout the 1980s in preparation for the 1988 Olympics. Most recently there were upgrades in 2014, with the addition of a high-definition video board and a new turf system.

Arena on-campus will bring a whole new vibe: Dinos faculty

Holt said that whenever opening day for Dinosaur Stadium comes, it’ll be full of energy and a monumental day for the Calgary community as a whole.

“I picture football games on Friday nights and students coming out of residence to hang out and socialize together. We know that has huge benefits for students’ well being and student life. The other big part of this is this becomes a recreational facility for the entire UCalgary student population,” he said.

“It’s a home for Dinos and then we put the dome up, it’s a recreational facility for our students. In the evenings and weekends, I see it being a community hub, because, as many people know, there is a drastic shortage of indoor facilities in Calgary.”

As plans are still very early, many current UCalgary students won’t have the opportunity to experience the stadium until they’re alumni. In the meantime, Holt said that current students and community members will be able to make their opinions heard.

“We’ll do community engagement as we go through the process. An important part of this is making sure that what we design serves the needs of the Dinos and UCalgary as well as the broader Calgary community and we’re definitely taking lessons learned from other facilities around Canada into account,” he said.

“When we’ll have the dome up and it’s a day when people can’t go outside, the stadium will be open at lunchtime and students will be in there playing Frisbee, catching the football, playing garden Jenga, playing cornhole, that’s what we’re going for.”

Kaiden Brayshaw, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, LiveWire Calgary