The Saskatchewan Roughriders are inviting fans back to the stadium on Saturday afternoon after Friday night’s air quality debacle, but they’ll have to bring their own snacks.
The Week 6 game between the Riders and Calgary Stampeders was rescheduled after wildfire smoke rendered conditions unplayable under the CFL’s weather protocol. However, the event was only called after three hours and 45 minutes worth of delays, which left angry fans sitting in the seats of Mosaic Stadium without any of the football they were promised.
The Riders are honouring all those Friday tickets for the new kickoff time of 4:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday and have said they will provide compensation for out-of-town fans who can no longer make it. However, while the team is offering football a day late, they can’t guarantee sustenance.
Vendors and concession stands have been unable to restock due to the short turnaround, meaning that only modest food offerings will be available. As a result, stadium policy has been temporarily amended and fans are encouraged to bring their own snacks, as well as any sealed non-alcoholic beverages of less than one litre.
Drinks and draft beer will still be available at the game, though there are not enough new cans available to sustain the usual $5 pre-game beer promotion. Alcohol can not be brought into the stadium.
The Riders placed no official limitations on what types of food can be brought to the game, so there doesn’t appear to be anything stopping fans from having a five-course potluck dinner in the stands. After what they went through on Friday, they deserve a Michelin star meal flown in by the team itself.
