Regina city councillor Sarah Turnbull is urging the Canadian Football League (CFL) to help cover the cost of replacing Mosaic Stadium's artificial turf, arguing the league should pay for changes it mandated. "If (the CFL) are the ones that changed the rules of the game, not us, then they should be paying for this," Turnbull said during an executive committee meeting Wednesday.
Council Considers $8.2 Million Upgrade
The executive committee debated a request to advance $8.2 million to upgrade the stadium's digital display system, including the scoreboard and ribbon boards, and fully replace the artificial turf. The work must be completed before the Saskatchewan Roughriders begin their 2027 CFL season in May. City council will consider approving the request at its next meeting on June 24.
The scoreboards and turf were installed in 2016 when Mosaic Stadium opened and have reached their end of life, according to city staff. The new turf also aligns with incoming CFL rules that shorten standard field and end zone lengths and move goalposts, effective for the 2027 season. When announcing the changes in 2025, CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston hinted that funds might be available to help pay for new fields.
Precedent Setting Concerns
Turnbull emphasized that Saskatchewan is the first of nine CFL teams preparing to update its field to meet the new regulations. "Whatever precedent we set here, other teams are watching," she said. She noted the changes affect other users besides the Roughriders, including the Regina Rams, Regina Riot, Regina Thunder, local high school teams, and soccer clubs, as the CFL's field size no longer aligns with their leagues' standards.
"We built Mosaic Stadium for the community, and it is super important that our community is still included in it," Turnbull added.
Split Opinions Among Councillors
Councillors David Froh, Shobna Radons, and Dan Rashovich shared Turnbull's concerns and supported approaching the CFL for financing. Acting city manager Jim Nichol said the city can approach the Roughriders and CFL but hinted that "we already know what the CFL will say." He noted Mosaic Stadium is a city-owned asset, and keeping it functional is the city's responsibility per its lease with the Roughriders. Regardless of rule changes, the turf has reached the end of its life.
"It may be a challenging conversation," city solicitor Shannon Williams added. Nichol said other users, including SaskSport, which also has a lease to use Mosaic Stadium, will be consulted about field changes. The city has hired a turf consultant to advise on ensuring the new field can be altered for other uses.
