Toronto Argonauts Home Opener is Bigger Than Most
By Lance Keiser
The Toronto Argonauts are set to kick off the most important home opener in recent CFL history on June 23rd, when they welcome their rivals from down the QEW.
The CFL schedule makers did a masterful job making the debut of BMO the focal point for CFL kick off 2016 The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are always a big draw in Toronto.
So what makes this home opener so important to not just the Argos but the CFL it self?
- This will be the first time the double blue have had a true home field in two seasons
- Argo fans will now be out of the concrete caverns of Rogers Centre
- An intimate environment
- Tailgating that will include cheaper beer prices and the opportunity to bring your own BBQ
- An outdoor experience on the lake in a freshly renovated stadium
- A chance to show to fans across the league that the CFL belongs in Toronto
With dwindling attendance levels due to factors beyond the Argonauts control, they now get a chance to put all of that in the past and focus on their new digs and a true home field. The Boatmen were bounced out of Rogers Centre at the start of last season, due to the Pan Am games and Toronto Blue Jays taking priority, and again as the 2015 campaign progressed, due to the Blue Jays lengthy postseason run.
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Attendance levels for the Argos have been dropping for some time now. The league just can’t seem to gain any traction here in Toronto.
In 2013, when the double blue were the defending Grey Cup champs, they averaged just under 22,000 fans per home game. The next year, this went down to just under 18,000 fans, which can be blamed on the lack of home games during the summer months.
In 2015, the Argonauts averaged just under 13,000 fans per game, which is atrocious. However, what is to be expected when they had “home” games in Fort McMurray Alberta, Ottawa and Hamilton.
That is a steep drop in attendance in just a few seasons, although 2015 can be viewed as a wash, as they never truly had a home field. At the same time, when home games were played in Toronto there was no ad or media coverage at all, while the Blue Jays grabbed the city by the throat and every one jumped on their band wagon.
The Argos and the CFL itself have a chance to prove the naysayers wrong, i.e. that the league can work in Toronto and have a place in the crowded sports market. Doing this will fix two major problems.
The first is the black eye that is over the league: “How can it be taken seriously if Canada’s biggest city won’t support it?” Also, if the league can manage some steady growth in Toronto, it will help the CFL in regards to other cities and the eventual possibility of expansion elsewhere.
The Argos inaugural season at BMO Field will be an experiment to watch unfold, as we wonder if it drive up Argos attendance levels? Can the ownership and media brass figure out a way to make millennials want to come and see Canadian football in Toronto?
Next: Can the Argos capture the millennial fan-base?
These will continue to be major talking points for the boatmen going forward, even if they are successful in reviving the existence of the Argos this season. After all, what will happen next year, when the fad of a new stadium is over?