Mosaic Stadium gets its first Classic matchup

The 53^rd edition of the Labour Day Classic will be the first of its kind.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday in the first-ever Classic played at new Mosaic Stadium.

“It’s going to be absolutely electric,” said Craig Reynolds, the president-CEO of the CFL’s Roughriders. “We’ve been looking forward to this game for a long time.

“You look at the calendar and you circle two dates right away. The first one is July 1 (when the Roughriders played their home opener) and that was an amazing atmosphere. The second one is Labour Day and, ironically, we’ve played Winnipeg both times. There’s that great rivalry between the teams and both teams are playing very good football at the same time.

“We’ve had enough experience with the stadium now where fans generally know what to expect, so I think they’re going to come in, bring the noise like we know they will and create an exciting atmosphere.”

The Roughriders moved into the new $278-million facility in February after spending 90 years at their previous home. The team has played five games at Mosaic Stadium — one in the pre-season and four in the regular season — and has sold out the building each time.

Not surprisingly, a full house also is expected for Sunday’s game and the place will be rocking, just like its predecessor.

“I honestly think it’s the fans that make Labour Day special,” Reynolds said. “You can see how they’re enjoying the stadium and how they’re creating the atmosphere here. It’s a fantastic atmosphere, from the noise to how social it is.

“The fans have always made Labour Day — and the rivalry has as well. We have a good contingent of Winnipeg fans who come over every year. The combination of a traditional rivalry and our fans’ passion for this matchup, this game and this weekend are what makes it truly special.”

The Roughriders have a 3-1-0 regular-season record at home entering Sunday’s game and, to a man, the players have credited the fans with making life difficult for visiting teams.

But the home team also has had to learn a few things about the stadium. Most of the wrinkles have been ironed out as the season has progressed.

“We’ve tweaked a few things, but a lot of them are behind-the-scenes things,” Reynolds said. “The stadium design was such that it allowed us to have the incredible experience we’ve got here without a lot of tweaking required.

“We’re really happy with how the fans have responded to the stadium. Certain areas like Pil Country have just exploded in popularity. It’s everything we imagined it would be and then some.”

The atmosphere for the Classic will be heightened because it’s preceded by Fan Day.

During Saturday’s festivities, statues of two legendary Roughriders players are to be unveiled at the northwest corner of the stadium. As well, current players will mingle with fans and sign autographs on the concourse.

But the keystone of the weekend is the Classic.

The Bombers won the 2016 game 28-25 on a last-play field goal by Justin Medlock. That snapped a string of 11 straight Roughriders victories over Winnipeg on Labour Day.

Both teams are riding winning streaks going into the game — the Bombers have won five straight games, three more than the Roughriders — and both will go in with records of .500 or better for the first time since 2014. Winnipeg is 7-2-0 this season, while Saskatchewan is 4-4-0.

The Labour Day Classic always draws a big crowd, but the teams’ records in a tight West Division make the 2017 version even more intriguing.

“When we left Edmonton (after a 54-31 victory Aug. 25), I was talking with Chris (Jones, the Roughriders’ head coach-GM) and the first thing we said was, ‘Well, next weekend’s going to be a lot of fun,’ ’’ Reynolds said.

“Both teams are playing at a really high level right now. It has been a while since it has been like that. Over the last decade or so, it has been like one team is maybe not playing as well as the other team, so it’s really special that we’re both playing at a really high level and it’s the first time at this stadium.”

Saskatchewan lost its first two games of the regular season — including a 43-40 double-overtime loss to the visiting Bombers on July 1 — but since has won four of six. That run has included back-to-back dominant victories over the B.C. Lions and Eskimos.

“What we’re seeing now is a very talented team that is starting to play with some confidence,” Reynolds said. “We’re playing very, very well at home. Chris and I talked at the beginning of the season that we need to establish this stadium as a really tough place to play. Historically, good teams win at home and we’ve been reasonably successful at that so far.

“The win against B.C. was a real confidence-builder and you saw that carry over to Edmonton. We’re starting to get a little more consistent and playing with a lot of confidence, which is what we’ve been looking for.

“I think good things are ahead for this team.”