The REAL District parking lot in front of the Brandt Centre and adjacent to Mosaic Stadium will be buzzing with activity on Saturday. For the first time since it opened in 2017, Mosaic Stadium will see Rider fans tailgating before the Green and White kick off their 2026 season against the BC Lions. 2025 Grey Cup MVP Trevor Harris is thrilled that Rider Nation will finally get a chance to experience something that he remembers fondly from his childhood. “I grew up, Central Ohio kid rooting for the Ohio State Buckeyes. And my family would get up at four in the morning, and we would drive a camper down to Columbus,” he said. Harris said, as a child, when he saw the Buckeyes team bus come in, he would think to himself that it would be cool to be the one playing in front of thousands of fans. “When you see the tailgaters tomorrow and people excited about the games and the hoopla going into the game and the excitement building around the team, the fact that I get to go out there and be a part of this is something I never take for granted,” he said. The tailgating parameters involve purchasing a season pass to book one of a couple hundred spots, with each pass securing two side by side parking stalls, one for a vehicle, the other for the tailgate setup. “There are 200 tailgate spots that are directly south of the Brandt Centre. And so, fans can park there, they have a spot to park and set up their tailgate gear. So, whether that’s picnic tables or lawn chairs or barbecues or smokers, and they can bring their own food and bring their own alcohol,” said Riders President and CEO Craig Reynolds. Giving the fan base that bleeds Green and White one more tailored gameday experience is something that they deserve, according to Harris. “When you go anywhere, typically, fans are like, ‘Hey can you sign this really quick, can we take a picture with you?’ And that’s just Rider football. And that’s what people here love,” he said. Tailgating will be open to Rider fans five hours before kickoff on game days.
