Fans of the BC Lions and Canadian Football League can start marking down their calendars following Thursday morning’s release of the 2024 schedule.
Once again, there will be no shortage of storylines when breaking down the slate of games. We now present seven notable nuggets for the Lions’ 70th season schedule which can be viewed in its entirety HERE.
Opener In The 6IX
The Lions will face Toronto in a regular season opener for the fourth time in their history. 1983, 2005 and 2007 were the previous three occasions with each taking place on the road. The Lions hold a 2-1 record in those contests. 2023’s visit to Toronto saw us fall 45-24 to the Boatmen in the club’s only regular season meeting in week four at BMO Field. Which brings us to:
Balanced Schedule Returns
For the first time since 2019, the Lions will host and visit every CFL club as the league returns to a balanced setup. The Argonauts didn’t visit the west coast in 2023 while our squad didn’t pay a visit to Ottawa. The 2024 slate sees the Lions face last season’s playoff rivals Winnipeg and Calgary three times each while playing a home-and-home against every other CFL squad.
Playoff Rematch Kicks Off Home Calendar
Saturday, June 15 sees the Calgary Stampeders visit Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place for our 70th home opener. It should no doubt be a motivated Stampeders squad coming to town after they fell short to Vernon Adams Jr. and company in the Western Semi-Final this past November. Off the field, it should once again be a home opener chalk full of entertainment inside and out.
Summer WestJet Dollars
The first half of the campaign includes a three-game summer road gauntlet that sees the Leos visit Western rivals Calgary on July 21, Winnipeg on August 1 and Edmonton on August 11. That stretch which includes a bye after the Calgary clash could go a long way in setting the tone in this division race. The Lions had a 6-3 regular season road record in 2023.
A Capital Back-To-Back
On November 29 we announced Touchdown Pacific comes to Victoria and Royal Athletic Park on August 31 against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. That historic matchup will also serve as the second half of a back-to-back as the Lions will visit our nation’s capital on August 24. Since coming over from Ottawa following the 2019 campaign, head coach Rick Campbell is a perfect 5-0 in games against his old team.
Autumn Home Stretch
Following a visit to Montreal on Friday, September 6 the Lions will begin a stretch of three straight home games with a bye sandwiched in after the first: Friday, September 13 against the Argonauts, Friday, September 27 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Friday, October 4 when the Stampeders come back to town. The only road clash after September 6 comes with a visit to Saskatchewan on Saturday, October 12 before wrapping up the regular season against the Alouettes on Saturday, October 19.
Orange Shirt Day Game
The late-September visit from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats represents our fourth annual Orange Shirt Day Game which respects and honours Canada’s National Day For Truth and Reconciliation. Be sure to stay tuned ahead of that date for more special announcements surrounding in-game entertainment and activities.
With all roads leading back to BC Place for the 111th Grey Cup on Sunday, November 17 the best way to secure your seats to the big game is by becoming a Lions season ticket holder. Click HERE for more info!