Rider fans see changes as CFL preseason kicks off

Preseason begins WATCH: The Saskatchewan Roughriders will have their first preseason game tonight against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Brianne Foley reports.

It’s finally Rider season again, and preseason is set to begin Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in a conference finals rematch against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Doors are set to open at 5 p.m., but the Coors Light parties won’t start until regular season.

A few changes this year for game goers, as vaccine passport proof is no longer required for entrance to Mosaic Stadium.

“Just given the current vaccination levels in the province overall and most people staying on top of their eligible boosters it’s probably the safest place, realistically that it can be,” said Jason Anderson, a die-hard fan.

“I’m okay with it,” added Valerie Livingstone. “Like most people are probably vaccinated, you know we’re all out in the world now and that’s just the way so its just, it makes it quicker to get in.”

Another change sees fans having to download the Riders App for their digital tickets prior to arriving. Digital tickets will be the only tickets accepted, with a few exceptions for those life long fans who do no have access to cell phones.

But Livingstone, a 35-year season ticket holder says the process isn’t hard to grasp.

“It’s really good once you figure it out, it’s the best you know you don’t have to worry about carrying it around you can transfer it to so many people like I transferred it to my brother today, so no I like it, and it was pretty seamless.”

This year, Mosaic Stadium will allow every fan to enter with a clear bag, no bigger than a large purse.

And in partnership with the Roughriders, the City of Regina will offer free transit to fans again this year.

“So they’ll start two hours and fifteen minutes before the game and they’ll stop doing those pickups thirty minutes before kickoff,” Nathan Luhning, Manager of Transit Administration with the city, told CTV.

“And they’ll start up again at the fourth quarter and they’ll run until about an hour after the game has ended.”

Luhning says they added a fifth stop this year because the Riders organization wanted to connect with north end of the city.

“We have five pickup locations this year and those are the Southland Mall, University of Regina, Downtown, Warehouse District and new for this year is the Turvey Centre in the north end of the city.”

Even with the changes at Mosaic, fans are just happy to have a season in Queen City again.

“The biggest thing is that they got through their labour there,” said Anderson. “Got everything sorted out, didn’t have a delay to the season and just stoked that it’s starting.”