Worst kept secret finally out: Toronto to host 2016 Grey Cup

The Canadian Football League’s championship game will be played in Toronto next year.

BMO Field will host the 2016 Grey Cup and the CFL is expected to make the official announcement at a news conference Thursday afternoon at a downtown hotel.

Toronto last hosted the championship game in 2012 at Rogers Centre, where the Argonauts beat Calgary 35-22 in the 100th Grey Cup.

The Argonauts will move to BMO Field in 2016. They are currently playing their last season at Rogers Centre, their home since 1989.

This year’s Grey Cup will be played at Winnipeg’s Investors Group Field.

BMO Field is slated to undergo another round of renovation after the current Major League Soccer season. A canopy will be installed on three sides as well as a new lighting and sound system. A new hybrid grass surface will also be put in, which uses natural grass but reinforces it with artificial roots.

The renovation will also install seats that can be rolled back in the north and south stands to accommodate the longer CFL field and endzones.

New, bigger dressing rooms will also have to be built to accommodate football.

The first phase of renovations, completed before this MLS season, expanded stadium capacity to 30,000 with the addition of 8,400 seats in the east grandstand. Additional washrooms, concessions and premium fans options were also added.

The video board in the north stand was replaced by a larger HD display.