The moment the Edmonton Elks learned who their opponent would be, it was back to business. Players, coaches and front-office staff gathered at a downtown lounge Saturday to watch the CFL’s West Division semifinal between the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders. When the Lions emerged victorious, “the switch flipped,” said Elks head coach Mark Kilam, whose team earned a bye to the West final by finishing first in the division. “It was, like, ‘All right, here we go. Back to business,” he told reporters Tuesday at Commonwealth Stadium, where Edmonton will host B.C. on Saturday for a spot in the Grey Cup on Nov. 15. Kilam expects the West final to be “a war.” He’s probably right. The Elks and Lions finished with the CFL’s top two rushing offences and top two overall defences. B.C. also led the league against the run, with Edmonton ranking second. “This is what you want in a West final,” said Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo, who finished fourth in the CFL with 4,788 passing yards. The Lions will counter with star quarterback Nathan Rourke, who ranked fifth in the league with 4,614 passing yards despite missing two games and posted the CFL’s second-best passer rating at 111.8. “He breaks a ton of tackles,” Kilam said. “He’s difficult to get down, and that’s when he extends. That’s when explosions happen.” B.C. averaged 417 offensive yards per game in 2026, second among the CFL’s nine teams. Edmonton ranked fourth at 396 yards per game. Adding to the intrigue, the teams haven’t met since mid-July, when the Elks avenged an early-season loss to the Lions. “We’ve got a good idea of how they want to play us, but I think both teams have gotten so much better since the last time we faced each other that that’s what’s going to make this game so much more intriguing,” Fajardo said. Elks open upper deck For just the third time this season, the Elks have opened the east-side upper deck at Commonwealth Stadium, anticipating strong demand for the team’s first home playoff game in 11 years. The club closed the upper bowl after the 2023 season amid declining attendance during a stretch that saw the franchise lose a record 22 consecutive home games. Now, after finishing first in the West at 13-5, including an 8-1 record at what the team has dubbed its “concrete castle,” players are noticing a surge in support. Running back Justin Rankin said he’s seeing fans, flags and green-and-gold banners throughout the city. “It’s nice to be able to walk around the city and see the green and gold banners hanging up,” said Rankin, who finished second in the CFL with 1,170 rushing yards and added 640 receiving yards for 13 touchdowns. “The community is excited about football and excited to come to the games, (with) all the people saying they’ll be at the West Final.”
