Touchdown Pacific in Victoria 2024

[SammyGreene]

With the league involved in the announcement I’m thinking it’s a game rather than training camp.

ADVISORY:

The #BCLions, @CFL and @CityOfVictoria will make a special announcement on Wednesday at 11:30 am at the Victoria Conference Centre: 720 Douglas St.

[Hambone]

Selfishly hopefully neither if the game is regular season. I'd gladly turn my preseason ticket in for a refund though if they want to hold the preseason game there. I never go to preseason games. Love the convenience and always purrfect weather of TC in Kamloops.

[David]

The club seems both happy and committed to the city of Kamloops with first-rate training camp facilities at TRU and solid community support there. Hard to believe they would pull up stakes.

I believe it's 'game.' But which game - regular or preseason - is hard to say. I think it's the latter as it's hard to imagine Amar giving up all of that ticket revenue (we averaged 23K last year) for a small-ish gathering in Victoria unless they have plans to convert say, Royal Athletic Park to accommodate an influx of Mainlanders.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

Doman has talked about bringing a game to Victoria, his hometown. That would likely be a preseason game.

I selfishly hope it's not a training camp announcement. I live in Kamloops and look forward to attending camp every year. I haven't been to the Island in 10 years.

[Belize City Lion]

I hope it's a regular season game in Victoria.

Ambrosie said in January that 10,000 seats would be the minimum required to make Touchdown Pacific viable. I think adding 4,000 temporary seats to Starlight Stadium would be possible. The Lions are in a unique location where they could be one of the only CFL teams that could generate more revenue by playing a regular season home game in a smaller stadium.

Let's say the Lions probably would have drawn no more than 22,000 for whatever game they move to Victoria (most likely against Ottawa or Hamilton, two of the poorer drawing opponents). So the net "loss" in ticket sales is going to be about 12,000. Much of that lost revenue could be recouped from higher ticket prices for Touchdown Pacific (basic supply and demand).
But the big advantage for the Lions is they still have 8 regular season home games (plus hopefully a playoff game) to make up the attendance shortfall.

The purpose of a Touchdown Pacific game would be to grow the Lion fan base on Vancouver Island. Playing on the island demonstates to fans there that the Lions really do care about that market. That sort of engagement turns casual fans into LOYAL fans. Loyal fans are more likely to make a trek to Vancouver to watch the Lions play. The Lions really focused on scheduling as many games as possible for 4PM on Saturdays, in part to make it easier for fans from the island and interior to attend.

Even if the Lions only attract an extra 300-500 Vancouver Island fans to their other 8 home games (and hopefully a home playoff game) they are likely revenue positive. Also, the more people who attend a Lions game the more others will want to attend. Larger crowds equals more hype and better atmosphere at the games. That leads to even more people wanting to attend games. So not only will more islanders buy tickets but more lower mainlanders will as well. Better attendence raises the value of corporate sponsorship which also brings in more revenue.

And finally don't forget the Lions host the Grey Cup this year. Touchdown Pacific could result in stronger pre-sales of Grey Cup tickets if the Lions offer a package that includes both games. Selling out the Grey Cup early matters a lot, not just for cash flow but for perception of the team and league in the Vancouver market.

[B.C.FAN]

I just realized I’ve already bought my 2024 season tickets and Grey Cup tickets. There was no mention of holding a game in Victoria.

[maxlion]

I don’t see a regular season game in Victoria as being viable. Starlight Stadium is too small. Adding 4000 temporary seats would cause parking and traffic chaos. Public transit is lacking and there are few nearby amenities. I’m skeptical that there is a great demand in Victoria or that people would pay premium prices. A preseason game, on the other hand, seems like it could be possible.

As for moving training camp, one consideration is that Victoria is less susceptible to disruption due to smoke. BC Fan is welcome to come stay at my place during camp.

[B.C.FAN]

I don’t see a regular season game in Victoria as being viable. Starlight Stadium is too small. Adding 4000 temporary seats would cause parking and traffic chaos. Public transit is lacking and there are few nearby amenities. I’m skeptical that there is a great demand in Victoria or that people would pay premium prices. A preseason game, on the other hand, seems like it could be possible.

As for moving training camp, one consideration is that Victoria is less susceptible to disruption due to smoke. BC Fan is welcome to come stay at my place during camp.

Haha. I'm warming up to the idea. I also checked into direct flights from Kamloops to Victoria. They're cheaper and faster than driving and taking the ferry.

[Toppy Vann]

B.C. Lions in Langford? Annual CFL game eyed for Starlight Stadium
Games that count in regular-season standings could be played at Starlight Stadium in Langford beginning in 2025.
Cleve Dheensaw Cleve Dheensaw

Starlight Stadium would need to be expanded to 10,000 seats from its current 6,000.

Langford approved an $8.5-million project last year to add a permanent 4,000-to-5,000 seat grandstand opposite the current main grandstand to increase capacity to at least 10,000. Of that total, $4.5 million was allotted for the new grandstand and $4 million to move the infamous utility pole that has frustrated past attempts to add a grandstand to that section of the stadium. The work to remove the utility pole has begun with completion expected in spring.

https://www.timescolonist.com/sports/bc ... um-6336066

[Belize City Lion]

I don’t see a regular season game in Victoria as being viable. Starlight Stadium is too small. Adding 4000 temporary seats would cause parking and traffic chaos. Public transit is lacking and there are few nearby amenities. I’m skeptical that there is a great demand in Victoria or that people would pay premium prices. A preseason game, on the other hand, seems like it could be possible.

As for moving training camp, one consideration is that Victoria is less susceptible to disruption due to smoke. BC Fan is welcome to come stay at my place during camp.

I think for a one-off the city of Victoria could work out a public transit shuttle system on game day. Doesn't Winnipeg do something like that so fans can get to IG Field? There is also Centential Stadium at UVic that is much more of a "blank canvas" and would be easy to erect as many temporary seats as you wanted. I think they temporarily expanded the seating at Centennial to something like 30K for the Commonwealth Games in 1994.

I'd be surprised if the CFL was going to be part of an announcement about a pre-season game. I have long thought the Lions should play their home pre-season game away from BC Place. Perhaps rotating it between Victoria, Kamloops, and Kelowna. Not only would it help market the team outside of the lowermainland, but it would give the preseason game a bit more buzz. I'd rather see 8,000 people excited about a pre-season game in Kamloops than 11,000 at BC Place, knowing that most of those people only showed up because the pre-season game was included with their season ticket package or they got a freebie.

[Hambone]

I don’t see a regular season game in Victoria as being viable. Starlight Stadium is too small. Adding 4000 temporary seats would cause parking and traffic chaos. Public transit is lacking and there are few nearby amenities. I’m skeptical that there is a great demand in Victoria or that people would pay premium prices. A preseason game, on the other hand, seems like it could be possible.

As for moving training camp, one consideration is that Victoria is less susceptible to disruption due to smoke. BC Fan is welcome to come stay at my place during camp.

Haha. I'm warming up to the idea. I also checked into direct flights from Kamloops to Victoria. They're cheaper and faster than driving and taking the ferry.

Don't forget your umbrella.

[Toppy Vann]

If it were regular season, I'd give serious consideration on going to Victoria for a real game depending on arrangements.

[Hambone]

I don’t see a regular season game in Victoria as being viable. Starlight Stadium is too small. Adding 4000 temporary seats would cause parking and traffic chaos. Public transit is lacking and there are few nearby amenities. I’m skeptical that there is a great demand in Victoria or that people would pay premium prices. A preseason game, on the other hand, seems like it could be possible.

As for moving training camp, one consideration is that Victoria is less susceptible to disruption due to smoke. BC Fan is welcome to come stay at my place during camp.

I think for a one-off the city of Victoria could work out a public transit shuttle system on game day. Doesn't Winnipeg do something like that so fans can get to IG Field? There is also Centential Stadium at UVic that is much more of a "blank canvas" and would be easy to erect as many temporary seats as you wanted. I think they temporarily expanded the seating at Centennial to something like 30K for the Commonwealth Games in 1994.

I'd be surprised if the CFL was going to be part of an announcement about a pre-season game. I have long thought the Lions should play their home pre-season game away from BC Place. Perhaps rotating it between Victoria, Kamloops, and Kelowna. Not only would it help market the team outside of the lowermainland, but it would give the preseason game a bit more buzz. I'd rather see 8,000 people excited about a pre-season game in Kamloops than 11,000 at BC Place, knowing that most of those people only showed up because the pre-season game was included with their season ticket package or they got a freebie.

Agreed on the CFL involvement. If this was a preseason game they'd leave that up to the Lions to handle. Creating a park n ride would be essential. There is very limited parking in the area of Starlight. Most of it is in mall and strip-mall parking lots within a kilometre or two walk of the stadium.

Options are limited in the province for stadiums that could be expanded. At 6000 I believe Starlight is the province's largest capacity football capable stadium outside of the greater Vancouver area.

CENTENNIAL: 5000 capacity with 3000 in the original grandstand and 2000 comprised of 6 rows of bleacher seating on the opposite side of the field. There is limited room to add temps on the grandstand side which is bordered by trees. Even the grandstand itself is nestled into the trees. On the other side there are other playing fields immediately behind those bleacher seats. The natural grass playing field inside the track is only 120 yards long but 80 yards wide. The grass appears to be flush with the rubberized track and field surface. To add field turf to the end zones would likely create a "lip" which would be deemed a safety hazard for players. It might be necessary to lay an entirely new field turf surface over everything.

HILLSIDE: 1060 capacity. It comes by its name honestly as it is on a hillside. All seating is on the one side. To add more temporary seating on that side may not be possible without cutting off emergency access/egress roads. On the opposite side there is a triangle of flat surface outside the track that is used for some of the field events like long jump, pole vault etc. Immediately beyond that is a steep embankment. Getting to 5000 would be challenging, never mind 8000.

APPLE BOWL: 2314 capacity. Seems more conducive to adding seats but does have some constraints albeit fewer.

[Qman]

Either add 8000 seats to north side of starlight .. some of which could be left permanent

Or

Temporary 12,000 at RAP

[maxlion]

Either add 8000 seats to north side of starlight .. some of which could be left permanent

Or

Temporary 12,000 at RAP

Come to think of it, watching a game at Royal Athletic Park would be a lot of fun. I wouldn't miss that!