Sask. government, Riders eye legal tailgating at Mosaic Stadium

Barbecues, beers, lawn chairs and Rider green and in the Mosaic Stadium parking lot could soon be a reality.

The provincial government and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are in talks to allow legal tailgating outside Mosaic Stadium, a move that would bring a U.S.-style football tradition north of the border.

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Right now, Rider fans can gather at the pre-game Party in the Park, but stadium bylaws prevent fans from hosting their own tailgate parties in the parking lot. If the plan goes ahead, that could change as early as next season.

Season ticket holders would be given priority access to designated tailgate spots, according to the proposal. But before any grills are fired up, the plan needs approval from the province, the City of Regina, and Regina Exhibition Association Ltd., which manages the stadium grounds.

Fans weigh in

If the plan moves forward, Rider fans could soon be gathering outside Mosaic with their grills, coolers and jerseys, turning every home game into a full-blown Rider Nation festival.

Many Rider fans say the change would transform the game-day atmosphere.

“Tailgating before the games will be great. It’ll get the fans more involved and into it before the game even,” said Jaden Poitras, who added he would attend every home game if tailgating was part of the Rider tradition.

Ernest Antonio said it only makes sense to keep the pre-game party on Mosaic Stadium’s property.

“I think it’s a great idea. You’re on premises, you’re on their facilities. I think that’s where it should be held. And you don’t have people wandering all over the place when they want to go to the game,” Antonio said.

For Randy Burchard, the idea brings back memories of a Calgary playoff game, where he joined Rider fans outside the stadium.

“I bumped into several other Rider fans, friends of mine and people I knew. It was a great party. They had a whole place set aside for Saskatchewan. What really struck me was couples walking in, one wearing red and one wearing green,” Burchard said.

Even fans from outside Rider Nation say tailgating would give the CFL a boost. A Winnipeg supporter who goes by “Mad Mike” said it would turn football into more than just a game.

“It becomes more than just a football game. It becomes a party. More people get involved, more entertainment,” Mad Mike said.

Concerns and next steps

Some people have raised concerns about drinking and driving if tailgating is legalized. But Antonio said most fans already plan ahead.

“Generally, most people have a spare driver or somebody who’s the designated driver,” he said.

Mayor Chad Bachynski has said Regina is open to working with the Riders and province on the plan, provided public safety and bylaw issues are addressed.

For now, officials are still sorting through the details. That includes how many spaces would be available, how tailgates would be regulated, and what safety rules would be put in place.

Tailgating makes good sense, says business analyst

In Wednesday’s Green Zone, business analyst Tom Mayenknecht said allowing tailgating makes a lot of sense, especially in a football market like Regina.

“I think it has the potential to do a heck of a lot because it builds on one of the most important aspects of the marketing and the promotion of any sport and that is the connectivity to the fans,” Mayenknecht said.

Mayenknecht said the Riders are one of the CFL teams best suited to host tailgating events because of their strong engagement.

“I stand by the importance of the television consistency and the CFL building things around it, but at the level of the individual fan; at the level of the game day experience; at the level of giving people another reason to not be on their sofa; to get out of their house to get to Mosaic Stadium in Regina – it’s the little things like (tailgating),” he said.

“The TV is less impactful. (Tailgating provides) the ability to say, ‘Wow, that was such a great time, (I) saw a guy I hadn’t seen since I coached him in peewee football just now.”