Friday night was meant to be one of the biggest games in the 2025 CFL season to date between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders, but Mother Nature had other plans. Poor air quality at Mosaic Stadium forced a long delay – and ultimate cancellation to Friday’s festivities. The announcement coming after more than a three and a half hour delay due to heavy smoke which descended on Regina Friday from wildfires in the province’s north. Roughriders’ CEO Craig Reynolds addressed the media following the decision to move the game to Saturday afternoon. He admitted he would have rather had coaches and players speaking at the podium, instead of him. “It was going to clear right around game time or right before game time,” Reynolds explained. “The smoke was coming from the west. And it cleared in Moose Jaw, which was for us, the signal it was going to clear in Regina.” According to the Canadian Football League (CFL), games will be stopped if the in-stadium monitored air quality health index (AQI) reaches eight or above during warmups or the game. Throughout the afternoon and into Friday evening, the AQI was recorded at 10-plus, or extreme risk. The smoke did not clear enough for play to begin. Kickoff is now scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets purchased for Friday’s game will be valid for Saturday’s game, with other options available for those unable to attend the rescheduled game. Gates will open at 12:30 p.m. and there will be no Coors Light Party in the Park before kickoff at 2 p.m. Fans are encouraged to bring in their own snacks and non-alcoholic drinks to the rescheduled game, as many vendors won’t have time to restock their items due to the short turnaround. Non-alcoholic beverages brought into the stadium must be sealed and not be larger than one litre. Draft beer and other beverages will be available but the team’s website says the $5 cans of beer will not be restocked in time for the game. For everything else you need to know before heading to Saturday’s game, visit the team’s website. Gameday modeling As part of gameday preparations, the Roughriders employ a meteorologist to assist in forecasting and modeling for all weather conditions – including smoke. Reynolds says the team begins receiving preliminary models and forecasts early in the week and is updated regularly based on changes. The CEO referenced a recent delay during the preseason which saw kickoff occur an hour after its originally scheduled time. “Their models are very accurate. So much so in the preseason game, we knew exactly when the smoke was going to clear,” Reynolds said. “We set the start time at 8 p.m., and we were able to start the game on time at 8 p.m.. It turned out to be a beautiful evening.” “The guidance we had tonight was it was going to clear,” he added. Timeline Kickoff for the Week 6 matchup was originally scheduled for 7 p.m., but at 5:30 p.m. the CFL announced the game would be delayed beginning at 7:45 p.m. Then at 7:30 p.m., the league pushed the start time again. “Air quality continues to improve but has not yet reached a level considered safe for play,” the CFL said at the time. “As a result, the start of the game remains delayed. Once it is safe for players to begin warming up, kickoff will take place 30 minutes later.” Thousands of fans waited for the next two and half hours for the next update from the league. At 10 p.m., the CFL – in consultation with both teams – announced the latest the game would start was 11:15 p.m., if the air quality improved. The CFL’s weather protocol allows for three hours of delay before cancellation if the game has already started. Because Friday’s warmup had not yet begun, there was more flexibility to continue pushing back the start time. Reynolds said he and his staff were hopeful the conditions were going to improve. “The wind just died. It just died,” he said. “And so as a result, that smoke plume just sat there.” “Our intent was to wait as long as possible to try to make that happen with the belief, even with the reduced wind speed and knowing what had happened to the west of us, it was going to clear,” he added. Reynolds says conversations and updates between the league, CFL Players Association, Calgary Stampeders and weather experts were ongoing through the evening. “[Postponing] is extremely challenging,” he emphasized. “It’s challenging for our broadcast partner. It’s an extreme challenge for the Calgary Stampeders to have to stay overnight for another day.” “And it’s extremely challenging for our fans. And that’s not lost on me,” Reynolds said. An apology to fans At times, the thousands at Mosaic grew restless with the lack of updates throughout the evening. Boos were heard on multiple occasions before the final decision to send everyone home was made. It is not a revelation the Riders have fans across Saskatchewan, many of whom travel hours each gameday to see their beloved Green and White on the field. “To that family from Watrous who came to the game tonight hoping to see Rider football and tomorrow night might not be able to make it: I’m really sorry we couldn’t get this game played tonight,” Reynolds said holding back some emotions. “I’m blown away by their commitment, their passion, their energy, their love of the team. That was so clear and we appreciate the challenge this situation has now created for them,” he went on to say. Logistical nightmare A lot of moving parts go into hosting just one football game at Mosaic Stadium a week. Having to do it a second time poses some potential hurdles for the Riders to climb Saturday. “Gameday staff and security. The teams themselves, referees, transit, concessions and all those types of things,” Reynolds listed. “To get all the information communicated effectively is sometimes a challenge.” Reynolds said there would be a group debrief of what Saturday will look like and how to make the process smoother in the future. Much of how the postponement would look was still unknown. The Riders’ CEO said food and beverage service was the largest. “[We] plan for a single game worth of food and concessions,” Reynolds said. “Fans were here for three hours. And now at 2 p.m., we have to put on another game and have some level of concession.” Tickets According to the Riders, tickets purchased for Friday’s game will be valid for Saturday afternoon’s game. “More details will be sent via email,” the team said in a statement. “Once again, we are thankful for your passion for our club and that you have stuck out with us all evening.” Reynolds added single tickets would also be available for fans to purchase Saturday. However, he recognized many fans may not be able to make the second day. “We’re going to provide some tokens of appreciation for our fans regardless if they come tomorrow or not,” Reynolds said. “But certainly, for the fans who can’t come tomorrow, we will take care of them. Whatever form that takes, whether we can get them in another game or they need a refund.” “We will accommodate our out of town fans, and really all our fans, because we understand the inconvenience this is for them,” he added. Saskatchewan headed into Week 6 of the season atop the West Division with a 4-0 record, but Calgary may be their toughest challenge yet. The Stampeders (3-1) sits second place in the division, just two points back of the Riders in first. The winner of the game will earn the top spot in the division headed into Week 7. - With files from Drew Postey.
