The B.C. Lions open main camp on Sunday in Kamloops, kicking off a season like no other for the club. With the FIFA World Cup taking over B.C. Place this summer, the Lions won't play their first game at the downtown dome until a visit from the Toronto Argonauts on July 25 — Week 8 of the CFL season.
The Lions' first regular season game in front of the faithful crowd at B.C. Place last season came on June 7. The year before that, it fell on June 15. Over the next 70-plus days, coach Buck Pierce's squad will be in Kamloops, then Langford for a preseason game on May 23 versus the Edmonton Elks, and then they'll put down stakes in Kelowna, where they will host the Calgary Stampeders on June 27 and the Elks on July 4 for the Apple Bowl.
How will they handle being based in Kelowna?
The Lions benefit from the fact that they have folks who have been in these situations before, led by team president Duane Vienneau. He was a main organizer for the CFL's Touchdown Atlantic series, where they played one-off neutral site games in the Maritimes in a bid to drum up interest in an expansion franchise. He was also front and centre when the Lions faced the Ottawa Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park two seasons ago in the Touchdown Pacific.
There are several players still with the club from that game, too, and you would think they could lean on that for this foray, which they have tagged as Touchdown Kelowna. "We're excited to play in an environment very similar to Touchdown Pacific, which was a cool, college-like environment," said quarterback Nathan Rourke. "There was a little festival. There were people who don't normally get to see B.C. Lions games. We know that Duane and the staff have been working really hard getting it all sorted. We're excited."
General Manager Ryan Rigmaiden also believes that it is going to "give the players a chance to bond like they never have." "It's going to be an opportunity for the guys to get together," he said. "We're going to bring families up. It's going to be a family atmosphere. It's something that we're going to build on."
How much better could Nathan Rourke be?
Rourke is coming off a season where he was the CFL's Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canada, and he's only 27 years old. He seems more comfortable with being a face of the franchise and of the league — think about how willing he was to speak on the rule changes — and he seems driven to improve, chasing after things like playing flag football for Canada at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
He threw for 5,290 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. We'll see where he can take those numbers this time around. He was intercepted 16 times last year, too, and that's a stat he appears particularly focussed on. "I had double-digit interceptions. I'm looking on that and keeping that number in single digits," Rourke said.
Jeremiah Masoli, 37, was B.C.'s No. 2 quarterback last year, and they didn't opt to bring him back this season. The most experienced pivot on the Lions' roster is Chase Brice, 28, who has 33 pass attempts over his three seasons with the club. That will be worth keeping an eye on.
What does the offensive line end up looking like?
B.C.'s most notable loss agency came when left tackle Jarell Broxton, 33, opted to ink a two-year deal with Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was both an All-CFL and West Division all-star last season, and he was named B.C.'s nominee for Most Outstanding Lineman for three straight years from 2023-25. Rigmaiden talked this week about returnees who could fill that spot. Kory Woodruff, 26, has played spot when Broxton has missed games with injury. The Lions also signed veteran Joshua Coker, 28, last week, who started 29 games the past two seasons for the Calgary Stampeders. Coker suffered a knee injury late last year with Calgary, and Rigmaiden couldn't say this week when Coker might be ready for action.
"We had the same concerns when Joel Figueroa left us a few year ago and we felt confident about Jarell taking that spot. Football is a next-man-up type of business, and we've got to move on," Rigmaiden said.
How will they handle the rule changes?
The CFL starts phasing in its new-look game this season, with the modified rouge, 35-second game clock, and player benches located on opposite sides of the field at all stadiums. The major switches, including the field being shortened from 110 yards to 100 and the goal posts going from the front of the end zone to the back, come next year. You can bet it's all going to be a talking point in the league throughout the year, though.
How much better could they be?
The Lions' defence got steadier and sturdier as the season wore on, and they have add two marquee playmakers to that side of the ball in middle linebacker Darnell Sankey, 31, and defensive tackle Casey Sayles, 30. Sankey was an East Division all-star the past two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes. Sayles was an East Division all-star last season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
What's more, Pierce and Rigmaiden are both into their second years at the helm. You'd have to think that will be help. "We've done a great job of making sure that the guys we bring in are the right players — not just the best one," Rigmaiden said. "We've got to continue everything Buck's been building over the last year. I feel extremely confident with the veteran leadership that we have and the character of the young guys we're bringing in."
