CFL commissioner, Regina mayor exchange terse words over Mosaic Stadium turf

REGINA — The CFL and the City of Regina are in a turf war over the gridiron at the home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston said Friday that Regina should reconsider its plan to stitch in the field lines at Mosaic Stadium and paint them instead.

“I would urge the city, and with the support of the Roughriders, to consider (having) a painted field,” Johnston said at a news conference in Calgary, where the Grey Cup is being played Sunday.

But Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski said there’s no plan to switch to paint and that the city will only consider doing so if the CFL is willing to pay up.

“If the CFL believes this is the preferred approach, it should be prepared to financially contribute,” Bachynski told reporters.

“Given the importance of the Saskatchewan market to the league, we would have expected those concerns to be raised directly and collaboratively during the consultation process, rather than through media comments.”

Regina is spending $1.6 million to redo the turf to adapt to the CFL’s new field dimensions, which come into effect next year. It’s also spending millions more for additional upgrades on video display boards and systems.

The city owns Mosaic Stadium and is set to host the Grey Cup next year.

The current turf at the stadium has stitched in lines, Bachynski said.

He said the city chose to stich them in again for the new turf to save on painting costs and ensure community groups have enough playing time.

The stadium is used by university, junior, minor and amateur teams, including youth soccer and flag football groups.

Waiting for paint to dry would cause field closures, Bachynski said, reducing access for those community teams.

“Mosaic Stadium is not a typical CFL stadium,” he said. “Mosaic Stadium supports approximately 2,400 hours of sports and events annually, with the city contractually obligated to provide a minimum of 600 hours of community access.”

The mayor said he’s doesn’t know how much painting would cost and added he’s frustrated by the commissioner’s comments.

“The commissioner won’t change our plans,” he said.

“The only people that can change our plans is consultation with community, because that’s who we owe the field to.”

The CFL’s decision to alter fields from 110 to 100 yards, along with changing end zones and goalposts, has had ramifications for other teams in Saskatchewan.

The University of Regina Rams and Regina Thunder football teams plan to use another field in the city and not Mosaic Stadium next year, because they’re not adopting the CFL’s new dimensions.

The teams have said they wished the rules hadn’t been changed.

Bachynski said Mosaic’s new field lines accommodate all other sporting groups.

Asked about community teams no longer being able to use Mosaic Stadium, Johnston said paint can be a solution.

He added that all other CFL clubs are looking to paint their fields.

“Painting is not that difficult, and I think painting future-proofs your field,” Johnston said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2026.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press