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115-753: When the WLAF suspended operations in 1992, Surge owner Fred Anderson received a franchise in the CFL after that league expanded to the United States in 1993. The two teams could be seen as one and the same. The two entities had the same colors (aqua and yellow) and head coach ( Kay Stephenson ). Additionally, several players and administrators made the switch from the WLAF to the CFL. These players included starting quarterback David Archer , Carl Parker (WR), Rod Harris (WR), George Bethune (DT), Mike Oliphant (RB) and Mike Pringle (RB). One notable team administrator

230-711: A 10–7–1 record and their first West Division regular season title since 1976 . After defeating the Calgary Stampeders in the West Final, the team advanced to the 97th Grey Cup to face the Montreal Alouettes . After the Roughriders were leading 27–11 in the fourth quarter, Montreal stormed back to make the score 27–25 late in the fourth. Montreal kicker Damon Duval attempted a 43-yard field goal and missed, but Saskatchewan had been called for

345-487: A 1–7 start and had Miller step in as his replacement. The season was plagued by errors and mishaps, most of them self-inflicted as the team could not dig itself out of their early season hole. 2011 proved to be Ken Miller's last season with the Roughriders, as he retired shortly after the 2011 season. On December 16, 2011 Corey Chamblin , who had been the defensive coordinator for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats ,

460-559: A 6–0 record with wins shared between three quarterbacks, including the season opening starter, Marcus Crandell . This was the team's best record since 1934 , when they were still known as the Regina Roughriders. On August 24, 2008, the team's General Manager, Eric Tillman , announced the acquisition of Quarterback Michael Bishop , the Toronto Argonauts backup quarterback at the time of the trade, who went 11–1 as

575-634: A 9–6–1 record. This was the first time they had accomplished that feat since 1951 . Ron Lancaster won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the Western Conference's most outstanding player while George Reed , receiver Hugh Campbell and four other Riders were named league all-stars, the most from any team that year. Saskatchewan swept Winnipeg in the West Finals, winning two games to no losses, and qualified for

690-532: A 9–7 record under Joe Faragalli , but it was only good enough for fourth place in a competitive West Division – the "crossover rule" had not yet been implemented – therefore, as in 1977, the Riders were denied a playoff spot despite the third place Eastern team having a worse record (the Montreal Alouettes finished 3–13). During the following six seasons, the Roughriders never earned more than six wins in

805-550: A Canadian sports team in honour of a unit that participated in an earlier American war would have been extremely unpopular. During the first two years after their name change, the Roughriders failed to reclaim their western championship title, losing both times to clubs from Winnipeg . The 1926 season marked the beginning of their next reign of dominance as the club matched their own WCRFU record with seven consecutive western championships from 1926 to 1932. With dominant players such as Canadian Football Hall of Famer Eddie James ,

920-456: A Saskatchewan Roughrider head coach with 68 wins and four first-place finishes. Dave Skrien was hired as the next head coach of the Roughriders and led them as they continued their winning ways, namely with an appearance in the 1972 Grey Cup , which yielded another Saskatchewan loss to Hamilton. For the 1973 season the Roughriders hired head coach John Payne . The Riders then had three consecutive second-place finishes and West Final losses to

1035-416: A decided improvement from their 1993 inaugural season with a 9–8–1 record. They had a 5–3–1 home record and a 4–5 road mark. Sacramento was ranked fourth in team defense, behind Calgary, Edmonton and Baltimore — the teams with the three best records in the league. But the record was only good enough for fifth place in the tough West Division. The Miners would have finished fourth with a 10–7–1 record, if not for

1150-547: A long time, the playing surface at Park Hughes was little more than dirt, and heavy rain often turned the field to a muddy bog. An alternative, discredited story states that the name was adopted from Theodore Roosevelt 's cavalry contingent that was known as the Rough Riders , who fought in the Spanish–American War . It was believed that there were Canadian troops in the contingent who returned to Canada following

1265-409: A measure of respectability to the franchise and set the stage for things to come. After contending on and off in the early part of the 21st century, the Roughriders hired 1989 Grey Cup hero Kent Austin as head coach and Ken Miller as offensive coordinator in the 2007 season . Despite a rookie head coach, the team jumped out to a 7–2 start, which was their best start since 1976. They finished

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1380-527: A poor call by the officials in the team's last game of the season in Edmonton. Archer appeared to throw a game-winning touchdown pass to Freeman Baysinger , but the officials ruled that it had short-hopped into Baysinger's hands. Replays showed that Baysinger had caught the ball cleanly. As it was, the Gold Miners finished one point behind the 10-8 Saskatchewan Roughriders for the last playoff spot in

1495-402: A precarious financial situation. As was the case, the telethon along with the then-ongoing Touchdown Lottery helped to keep the franchise afloat again, although the 1997 telethon ended with intrugue after Roughriders management announced that a $ 500,000 "donation" from a mysterious benefactor had helped to put the team's fundraising effort over the top. It was only after weeks of speculation that

1610-531: A reaction to the previous year's western win. While the Roughriders had planned on travelling east without the five ineligible players, the CRU remained steadfast in their decision to disallow the team from competition. The next decade in the WIFU was not as successful as the first as the team did not win another Western Final as the Regina Roughriders, nor ever finish in first place in that time span. After qualifying for

1725-406: A season, leaving them soundly out of the playoff picture. In 1985 , the Roughriders introduced a new logo as part of the 75th anniversary of the inception of the team, adding black and silver to the team's colour scheme. Before the 1987 season started, after almost a decade out of the playoffs and poor attendance saddling the team, the Roughriders felt it was necessary to conduct a telethon to keep

1840-566: A somewhat nomadic existence. It originally played at Dominion Park, but after the war was forced to move to the city exhibition grounds after the city sold Dominion Park. In 1921, it moved to Park Hughes on 10th Avenue in the North Central section of Regina, a rugby and soccer field built in 1910. It was the first season at an address that remained associated with the club for parts of the next nine decades. In 1923 , Regina returned to power as they won their eighth western championship over

1955-613: A starter for the Argonauts in 2007. This was the end of Marcus Crandell's run with the Roughriders, as he was released four days later. After the 6–0 start, the Riders went on to finish the 2008 CFL Regular season with the same record they finished with in 2007, at 12–6. The Roughriders finished in second place in the CFL West Division and earned the right to host the CFL West Division Semi-Final for

2070-494: A too-many-men penalty, advancing the placement 10 yards. Duval did not miss a second time, scoring the three points to win the game 28–27 for the Alouettes and adding to the Roughriders' championship woes. The Roughriders celebrated their 100-year anniversary as a football club during the 2010 season , wearing retro-themed red and black uniforms based on the ones worn by the Regina Roughriders. The Roughriders finished second in

2185-494: A touchdown to make it 30–26 with 1:38 left to play. Ironically Walling had just been picked up by the Roughriders just weeks previously from the Edmonton Eskimos practice roster. In the West Final, Saskatchewan faced the powerhouse Edmonton Eskimos , a team that set (and still holds) a CFL record with 16 regular season wins in one season since the institution of the 18-game CFL schedule in 1986. The Roughriders defeated

2300-421: A very lucrative contract that the Riders had offered. On February 6, 2008, Roughriders GM Eric Tillman announced that the new head coach would be Ken Miller . Miller was formerly the offensive coordinator under Austin. The team also traded former league MVP Kerry Joseph to the Toronto Argonauts , leaving the team without their Grey Cup-winning head coach and starting quarterback. The 2008 season began with

2415-481: Is the only Roughrider to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award twice while playing with Saskatchewan. Playing without Lancaster behind centre for the first time in 16 seasons proved difficult as the team posted back-to-back 2–14 seasons in 1979 and 1980. Ironically, the head coach of those squads was none other than Lancaster himself. The Riders' only winning record during this time came in 1981 when they finished with

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2530-503: The Ottawa Sun reported that the Roughriders had sold around 3,000 at $ 250 each. The Series 1 offering closed in 2008 after all 6,000 shares were sold. A second public offering, Series II, was launched in 2010 in honour of the team's 100th anniversary. As of 2016, the Roughriders had released and subsequently sold out 1,989 shares of Series III at $ 250 each. this Series "commemorates the 1989 Grey Cup championship victory" and "features

2645-697: The 1976 Grey Cup game to the Ottawa Rough Riders , coach John Payne left the team to become head coach of the Detroit Lions and Saskatchewan fell into a drought that was unheard of in the CFL. They posted an 8–8 record in 1977 , but finished in fourth place. It was the start of an 11-year playoff drought, the longest in CFL history. The Roughriders had several talented players during this era, including Joey Walters at receiver, Vince Goldsmith at defensive end, offensive lineman Roger Aldag from Gull Lake and Dave Ridgway , who became one of

2760-412: The 1999 season , Roy Shivers , the former Director of Player Personnel for the Calgary Stampeders , assumed the duties of general manager of the Roughriders. Shivers then hired Danny Barrett as the team's head coach despite the latter's limited coaching experience. The Roughriders made football history by being the first professional team with both a black general manager and head coach. In what

2875-459: The 2005 season , quarterback Henry Burris signed as a free agent with Calgary , leaving the Roughriders with a smaller chance at progress. The team finished in fourth place with a 9–9 record and crossed over to the Eastern playoffs again, only to be defeated by the Montreal Alouettes in the first ever post-season meeting with that team. Feeling a greater need for progress, the pressure was on

2990-593: The Alouettes . Then, prior to their season opening game of the 1963 season , general manager Ken Preston acquired Ottawa Rough Riders quarterback and defensive back Ron Lancaster on July 30 on a straight cash basis following three years with the Eastern Riders. The duo contributed to a productive season for Saskatchewan as they finished with a 7–7–2 record and won a playoff series for the first time since 1956 before losing their first playoff match-up with

3105-634: The BC Lions . The Roughriders continued to make progress in the next two seasons, posting back-to-back winning records, but lost in the West Semi-Finals in both years. In 1965 after one year as the offensive coordinator, Eagle Keys became the head coach of the Roughriders and guided them to an 8–7–1 record and an appearance in the western semi final which they lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 15–9. Fullback George Reed finished

3220-652: The Columbus Bullies of the American Football League (1940) played the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1941 in a three-game series, which Columbus won, 2 games to 1. The Gold Miners also entered the CFL record books by recording the most wins by an expansion team with 6 wins (the record was broken the following year by the Baltimore Stallions ). The Gold Miners finished the season with a 6–12 record, which placed them in last place of

3335-632: The Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers ended their season in each of these years. Their strongest season was in 1956 when the Roughriders achieved a 10–6 record and won their first playoff series since 1951, only to lose to the Eskimos in the Western Finals. Following their 1956 campaign, tragedy struck the Roughriders franchise when four members of the team were killed in a plane crash on December 9, 1956, while returning from

3450-559: The Edmonton Eskimos in the West Final and advanced to the Grey Cup for the first time since 1934 . In this game, they faced the Ottawa Rough Riders for the first time, marking the first Roughriders versus Rough Riders championship game in Canadian football history. Unfortunately, Saskatchewan still did not win their first championship, as they were defeated by Ottawa 21–14 in the 39th Grey Cup . Saskatchewan contended on and off in

3565-637: The Edmonton Eskimos , ending when George Reed retired after the 1975 season as the all-time leading rusher in all of professional football with 16,116 rushing yards. In 1976 , the Roughriders recaptured first place in the Western Conference and defeated the Eskimos in the West Final, advancing to the Grey Cup to once again play the Ottawa Rough Riders. The Roughriders allowed a last-minute touchdown catch by Ottawa tight end Tony Gabriel to lose their fourth Grey Cup in ten years, ending one of

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3680-844: The Las Vegas Posse , the Shreveport Pirates and the Baltimore Stallions (who were known as the CFLers when the NFL did not allow the Colts name to be used). The Gold Miners were once again a part of CFL history when they played against the Las Vegas Posse in Sacramento on July 8, 1994. The game was the first-ever game that involved two American-based teams in the CFL. Las Vegas won the game, 32–26. The Gold Miners made

3795-605: The Modesto A's . He planned to complete a project that had been started several years earlier to lure the then- Los Angeles Raiders to Sacramento, but had ended up being mothballed. Anderson, however, could not come to terms with the local governments. Years later, Sacramento State would upgrade Hornet Stadium to professional standards to accommodate the Sacramento Mountain Lions and the stadium would later be named after Anderson. Deciding that Hornet Stadium

3910-629: The Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1946 . It is the first recorded instance of a major-league team in North America branding itself as a statewide or provincewide team. Prior to the 1948 season , the Roughriders were in need of new uniforms as their red and black ones had become old and worn out. While visiting a surplus store in Chicago , executive member Jack Fyfe found a set of green and white uniforms and purchased them for

4025-534: The Stampeders to qualify for another Grey Cup. In the Grey Cup against the Ottawa Rough Riders, Saskatchewan fell 29–11 in their third Grey Cup game in four years. The Roughriders won a franchise-best 14 games in 1970 , a record that stands to this day, but were upset in the West Finals by the Stampeders. Eagle Keys resigned during the following off-season, ending his career as the all-time leader in wins by

4140-494: The West Division . The positives for the franchise were the facts that they had a 5–4 home record and were ranked 5th in team defense. Harris was also selected as a member of the 1993 CFL All-Star Team, which showed signs that the team had a good mix of players and staff to improve on for the following season. In their second season, the Gold Miners were no longer the lone American team as the CFL introduced three new teams:

4255-555: The Winnipeg Victorias and earned the right to compete in the national playoffs. The club was given a bye and advanced straight to the Grey Cup finals for the first time, but were severely outmatched, losing 54–0 to Queen's University at Varsity Stadium in Toronto . This was, and still is, the most lopsided defeat in Grey Cup history as the defending champion Queen's won their third straight national championship at

4370-703: The World Football League with the Jacksonville Sharks before entering the coaching ranks. Stephenson was born in DeFuniak Springs, Florida in 1944, and grew up in nearby Pensacola . He attended Pensacola High School , and he earned All-State accolades as a quarterback . He accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida , where he played for coach Ray Graves from 1964 to 1966 . His arrival on

4485-437: The 1950s, with four consecutive winning seasons and second-place regular season finishes from 1953 to 1956. Teams from this era featured standouts such as Frank Tripucka , Reggie Whitehouse, Ken Carpenter , Mike Cassidy , player-coach Frank Filchock and Cookie Gilchrist who was the first Roughrider player to rush for 1,000 yards in 1958 . Even with that talent, they could not return to the Grey Cup as clubs fielded by either

4600-672: The 1984 season, insisting that the change would aid Buffalo quarterbacks in finding receivers downfield. At the time, three of the Bills' four division rivals, the New England Patriots , Indianapolis Colts , and Miami Dolphins , wore white helmets. The gambit didn't work as interceptions actually increased the subsequent season. Stephenson also coached in the World League where he led the Sacramento Surge to

4715-603: The 1992 World Bowl championship, and in the Canadian Football League he coached the San Antonio Texans and the Edmonton Eskimos . # denotes interim head coach Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan . The Roughriders at times compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of

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4830-554: The 1993 season. Their nearest opponent was the BC Lions , over 890 miles (1,430 km) away. They had to market themselves, receiving no assistance from the CFL. This distance was partially lessened when the CFL added the Las Vegas Posse for the 1994 season, but that team's collapse after only one season left the Gold Miners once again far isolated from even their American competitors (the only other American teams, Shreveport and Baltimore, were 1,900 and 2,700 miles (3,100 and 4,300 km) away, respectively). Another drag on attendance

4945-510: The 2007 Grey Cup. Fellow Roughrider Andy Fantuz was named the Canadian MVP in the game after recording 70 yards receiving and the game-winning touchdown. A month and a half after capturing the 2007 Grey Cup, Austin stepped down as head coach to become the offensive co-ordinator at his alma mater University of Mississippi . In accepting this position in the NCAA, Austin turned down

5060-603: The Blue Bombers and Bronks in the West Semi-Finals and West Finals respectively. However, due to a rules dispute with the Canadian Rugby Union over use of their five import players from the United States , Regina was barred from competing for the 24th Grey Cup . Winnipeg had won the Grey Cup championship one year earlier with seven imports and the move to prevent Regina from competing was seen as

5175-544: The Canadian Football Council (CFC) All Star Game in Vancouver . Gordon Sturtridge , Mel Becket , Ray Syrnyk , and Mario DeMarco were killed when Flight 810 crashed into Slesse Mountain near Chilliwack, British Columbia . The team retired the numbers of the four players shortly after the tragedy . The following season , the Roughriders finished with seven fewer wins and a last place finish in

5290-574: The Florida campus coincided with that of another standout recruit, Steve Spurrier , who became the starting quarterback in 1964, and who won the Heisman Trophy in 1966. Stephenson remained a backup. Stephenson graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1967. After serving as a quarterbacks coach the previous season, Stephenson succeeded Chuck Knox as Buffalo Bills head coach on February 3, 1983. Stephenson

5405-510: The Gold Miners, with an all-US staff, took some time to learn the intricacies of Canadian football. But the team was fortunate enough to have leadership from Archer and got great plays from Harris. In their first season, the Sacramento Gold Miners entered the CFL history books by: It is sometimes stated that the Gold Miners were the first American team to play against a Canadian team and to play on Canadian soil when they were

5520-579: The Grey Cup four times ( 1995 , 2003 , 2013 , 2022 ). The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club Inc. was established in 1910 and incorporated in 1940. The organization is registered under the Non-Profit Corporations Act of Saskatchewan. The Roughriders are one of two CFL teams with non-profit ownership, the other one being the Winnipeg Blue Bombers , and are among a select group in North American sports . Prior to 2004,

5635-532: The Grey Cup, doing so in Vancouver at Empire Stadium . George Reed was the MVP with 31 rushes for 133 yards and one rushing touchdown. The Roughriders began the 1967 season as defending champions for the first time in franchise history. They finished in second place in the West with a franchise-best 12–4 record and advanced to Grey Cup final once again, but lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24–1. The 1968 season saw

5750-495: The Miners' radio play-by-play announcer. Kay Stephenson George Kay Stephenson (born December 17, 1944) is an American former college and professional football player and retired coach , whose latter career has seen him work in four different professional leagues. Stephenson played quarterback for the American Football League 's San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills . He finished his playing career in 1974 in

5865-613: The Riders played the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 95th Grey Cup . The Riders' traditional rivals had moved to the East Division the previous year following the demise of the Ottawa Renegades , and the 2007 championship game marked the first time that the two Labour Day Classic opponents played each other in a Grey Cup game. Saskatchewan won 23–19 in a game where James Johnson recorded a Grey Cup record three interceptions en route to being named Most Valuable Player of

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5980-495: The Roughriders finish with the best record in the league at 12–3–1, although they placed 1st in the west division they lost the western final series to the Calgary Stampeders 2–0 by a combined score of 57–12. Besides the 1st-place finish another highlight of the season was coach Eagles Keys winning the Annis Stukus Trophy awarded to the coach of the year. The Roughriders finished in first place in 1969 and defeated

6095-455: The Roughriders found themselves in a game that featured extensive offensive prowess. With the score tied 40–40, placekicker Dave Ridgway kicked a 35-yard game-winning field goal to win the 77th Grey Cup for the Roughriders, with a play that has become simply known as "The Kick." It was the second championship for the franchise, following a 23-year drought and is considered the greatest Grey Cup game ever played. Saskatchewan qualified for

6210-467: The Roughriders had issued 11,639 Class A shares and 435 Class B shares, though the total number of individual owners is not publicly disclosed. It is not possible to resell these shares, no dividend payment is possible and no person may hold more than 20 voting (Class A) shares, though they may hold an unlimited number of non-voting shares. The initial public offering of Rider Shares (Series I) commenced in 2004 at an offering price of $ 250 per share In 2006

6325-486: The Roughriders hired John Gregory after the 1986 season. Gregory took over a team that had missed the playoffs for ten consecutive seasons. In Gregory's first season as Saskatchewan's head coach, the Roughriders finished 5–12. Gregory then led the Riders to an 11–7 record in 1988 and a playoff berth. He won the Annis Stukus Trophy as the league's coach of the year. The 2nd-place finish in 1988 finally ended

6440-482: The Roughriders missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, their worst such streak since joining the WIFU in 1936 . Following a 1962 season that saw the Roughriders return to the playoffs, the team made roster moves that defined a generation of football in Saskatchewan. In the off-season, the Roughriders signed fullback George Reed from Washington State to replace Fred Burket, who had been traded to

6555-497: The Roughriders to perform in 2006 season . After Saskatchewan started the season with a 4–5 record, general manager Roy Shivers was fired on August 21, 2006. The Roughriders then hired Eric Tillman to take over and he elected not to renew Danny Barrett 's contract at the end of the season, following a third consecutive 9–9 season and a West Final loss to the Lions. While they did not win any championships, Shivers and Barrett restored

6670-482: The Roughriders were a perennial contender from the West, reaching the Grey Cup finals five consecutive years from 1928 to 1932, the second-longest streak in the championship's history (the team did not challenge for the Cup in 1926 or 1927). Unfortunately, Regina remained winless in the national championship, being outscored 102–15 in those five Grey Cup games. The Roughriders won their last WCRFU title in 1934 , representing

6785-449: The Roughriders' first season in the newly formed Canadian Football League, the team finished with a respectable 7–7–2 record and a third-place finish. However, the following season proved to be the worst in franchise history , as the team finished with just one win and 15 losses under head coach Frank Tripucka, the third-worst winning percentage in CFL history . The following years featured similar results, with various head coaches , as

6900-473: The Roughriders. Green and white have remained as the team's primary colours to this day (although the team has also worn silver and black as accent colours since then at times). The name change was made official on April 1, 1950. After three years of first-round playoff exits, the Roughriders finally returned to prominence in 1951 , winning their first WIFU regular season championship with an 8–6 record. Saskatchewan, led by quarterback Glenn Dobbs , defeated

7015-623: The WIFU. 1958 brought not only change, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders became charter members of the newly formed Canadian Football League in 1958 , but also stability with Ken Preston becoming the General Manager—a position he held for the next 20 years, arguably the most successful tenure in Roughrider history as the team only missed the playoffs five times, went to five Grey Cup final games, winning one in 1966. In

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7130-423: The West Final for the second consecutive year to face the BC Lions . After Saskatchewan scored a late touchdown to take the lead, BC tied the game with a late field goal, sending the game to overtime . Saskatchewan placekicker Paul McCallum missed an 18-yard field goal while BC kicker Duncan O'Mahoney hit a 40-yarder to win the game for the Lions, adding to the frustration of the Roughrider fanbase. Prior to

7245-411: The West Semi-Final and West Final, respectively, to advance to the 85th Grey Cup . Unfortunately, the upstart Roughriders fell to the Doug Flutie -led Toronto Argonauts 47–23 in the first ever Grey Cup match-up between the two oldest franchises in the league. The Roughriders closed out the 20th century with two more losing seasons, failing to qualify for the playoffs in both 1998 and 1999. Following

7360-408: The West with a 10–8 record and defeated the BC Lions in double overtime in the West Division Semi-Final. After defeating the Stampeders in the West Final for the second year in a row, the Roughriders faced the Alouettes in the 98th Grey Cup once again. Despite leading 11–8 at the half, the Roughriders faced a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The lead proved insurmountable, as Saskatchewan lost

7475-472: The West. As it turned out, this would be the last game the team would play in Sacramento. Despite a mediocre on-field record, the Gold Miners represented a serious attempt to form a viable professional football organization. Anderson and Baltimore Stallions owner Jim Speros were considered the only truly dedicated US CFL owners. Anderson's longtime sidekick Tom Bass handled the day-to-day operations, while coach Kay Stephenson and GM Tom Huiskens handled

7590-419: The Western championship a record 28 times. They have played for the Grey Cup 19 times, winning four ( 1966 , 1989 , 2007 , 2013 ). The team has had 20 players inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame . The Riders' biggest rival is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers ; games between the two are often sold out before the beginning of the season. The Roughriders Football Club and the city of Regina have hosted

7705-449: The club operated as a corporation without share capital (no person or entity "owned" the team or any portion of it), an ownership structure the Blue Bombers have used continuously. Since 2004, the Roughriders have offered two classes of permanent Membership Interests (referred to as "Membership Shares") similar to the NFL's Green Bay Packers . Class A shares have voting rights and Class B shares have no voting rights. As of March 2019,

7820-419: The club was able to confirm that the funds were in fact the Roughriders' share of a US$ 3 million interest-free loan from none other than the National Football League . Roughriders management subsequently explained that loan, equal to roughly C$ 4 million or $ 500,000 for each of the then-eight CFL teams at contemporary exchange rates, had been agreed between the leagues in principle but not finalized in time for

7935-419: The eastern playoffs for the first time in their 90-year history, losing to their last playoff opponent, the Toronto Argonauts . The 2003 season saw the Roughriders earn their first winning record since 1994 , finishing 11–7 and in third place, building optimism in a year where the franchise was hosting their second ever Grey Cup game . While the team played their longtime rival, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers , in

8050-432: The expense of the Regina Rugby Club. Following their first Grey Cup loss, the club changed their name to the Regina Roughriders in 1924 while retaining the colours of red and black. Ottawa also had a team called the Ottawa Rough Riders , but the spelling was different and the two clubs played in different leagues then (incidentally, however, both clubs shared the same colours of red and black then). The origin of

8165-412: The football side. As with the team, it took Stephenson some time to adapt to the Canadian game, but he was eventually successful. However, the Gold Miners were hobbled by substantial off-the-field problems that ultimately proved too much to overcome. Since the San Antonio club that was also supposed to be a part of the 1993 expansion had folded, the Gold Miners were the only American team in the CFL during

8280-601: The founding franchises of the Western Interprovincial Football Union , the highest level of Canadian football play in Western Canada . Also in 1936, the first permanent grandstand was built at Park Hughes and Park de Young. The Riders moved to the facility full-time that season. The stadium, renamed Taylor Field in 1946, was the Riders' home for over eight decades. The Roughriders became the first WIFU champions after they defeated

8395-472: The franchise's 11-year playoff drought, the longest in CFL history. However, the Roughriders had to settle for second place because the Eskimos who had an identical record swept them in the regular season. On November 13, 1988, the Roughriders hosted a playoff game for the first time since 1976 , but lost to the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final by a score of 42–18. Nonetheless, it was a step in

8510-401: The game to Montreal for the second consecutive year by a score 21–18. Following the Grey Cup loss, head coach Ken Miller resigned and became Vice President of Football operations. The club hired Greg Marshall as his replacement, but the 2011 season was one to forget, as the Roughriders finished last in the West with a 5–13 record and missed the playoffs. The Roughriders fired Marshall after

8625-437: The greatest kickers in CFL history. However, in an era where the West was dominated by Edmonton, Winnipeg and (by the early 1980s) the B.C. Lions, the Roughriders often found themselves in a losing battle for the third and final playoff spot in the West. Franchise quarterback Ron Lancaster retired after the 1978 season as the CFL's all time passing leader in passing yards, completions and touchdown passes. Furthermore, he

8740-444: The group "Friends of the Riders" to run an annual Touchdown Lottery to further bolster the club's finances. Originally conceived as a one-time fundraiser, it raised almost $ 22.6 million during its run and operated for 33 years. By the time the lottery was discontinued with Shepherd's retirement in 2019, the club's financial situation had long been stabilized. After a carousel of head coaches since John Payne 's departure in 1977,

8855-756: The guests of the Ottawa Rough Riders (losing 32–23) on July 7. However, in the 1950s and 1960s the National Football League and the CFL (and the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, forerunner of the CFL's East Division ) played a series of exhibition games, all in Canada, with the NFL team winning all of those matches. The American Football League also played one game in Canada against a CFL team in 1961, with CFL's Hamilton defeating AFL's Buffalo, 38–21. Prior to that,

8970-407: The heavily favoured Eskimos 32–21 to advance to the Grey Cup where they faced the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the third time in franchise history. With a talented roster that included Kent Austin at quarterback, receivers Ray Elgaard , Donald Narcisse , Jeff Fairholm and James "Duke" Ellingson, and an outstanding offensive line featuring Roger Aldag , Vic Stevenson , Dan Payne and Bob Poley ,

9085-762: The inaugural WCRFU playoffs. The Regina Rugby Club changed their colours again in 1912 to red and black. Meanwhile, the WCRFU agreed to change the playoff format so that the SRFU champion was given a bye to the Western final in exchange for the Saskatchewan champion agreeing to play the championship game on the road. Regina began an era of western football dominance. From 1912 through 1920 , Regina not only won six consecutive WCRFU titles, but went undefeated in competitive play during that span. Due to World War I , no Western playoffs were held in 1916 and in 1917 and 1918 league play

9200-563: The intent of creating a playoff format to determine a Western champion. Much to the displeasure of the SRFU, the Albertan and Manitoban unions had agreed to a format (ostensibly to minimize travel) in which the MRFU champion would host the Western semi-final and the ARFU champion would host the Western final. Regina balked at the prospect of playing up to two road games, and refused to participate in

9315-577: The league in receiving yards in 2010, as he signed as a free agent with Hamilton. Nonetheless, the team qualified for the playoffs after missing out during the previous season. In 2012, Saskatchewan lost the Western Division Semi-Final game to the Calgary Stampeders in a close game, 36–30. On January 24, 2013, the Riders traded Justin Harper and a 4th round 2014 pick to the BC Lions for six-time all-star Geroy Simon . Simon holds

9430-604: The league's West Division . The Roughriders were founded in 1910 as the Regina Rugby Club . Although Saskatchewan was not the first team to play football in Western Canada , the club has maintained an unbroken organizational continuity since their founding. The Roughriders are the fourth-oldest professional gridiron football team in existence today (only the Arizona Cardinals , Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts are older). The Roughriders are both

9545-581: The likenesses of Kent Austin, Bobby Jurasin and Don Narcisse with an illustration of the championship winning kick in the background." Series IV shares began sale in 2017, with the price remaining consistent at $ 250. When shares are purchased, the funds are placed in the team's Stabilization Fund. The Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation was created in 2019. It raises and distributes funds, focusing on community pillars of education, health, and amateur football. The Foundation aims to teach youth skills such as leadership, resilience, and responsibility. The team

9660-412: The most bittersweet eras in Roughrider history. Saskatchewan had qualified for the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons, tied for fourth-best in CFL history, and played in 11 consecutive Division Finals, which is a CFL record. While they also posted the best regular season record in all of professional football over that time period, the team only won one championship during that time. After their loss in

9775-600: The name has multiple theories, the most credible of which describes how the North-West Mounted Police were called Roughriders because they broke the wild horse broncos that were used by the force and the moniker was adopted from them. Giving credence to this theory is that during this time, the team occasionally played at the RNWMP/RCMP barracks when the then-rudimentary facilities at Park Hughes were rendered unsuitable for play by inclement weather. For

9890-408: The newly named North Division, as part of the CFL's American expansion , and did not qualify for the playoffs. With most CFL teams losing money after the ill-fated American expansion ended after the 1995 season, the Roughriders conducted another "Save the Roughriders" telethon in 1997 to help the team's financial health, they remain the only professional sports team to organize a telethon on due to

10005-413: The ninth Grey Cup final in franchise history. In the 54th Grey Cup , Saskatchewan once again faced the Ottawa Rough Riders in a rematch of the 1951 championship game . After the score was tied 14–14 at halftime, Saskatchewan scored 15 fourth-quarter points to win the franchise's first Grey Cup championship 29–14 on November 26, 1966. Saskatchewan was the last of the original nine CFL franchises to win

10120-532: The oldest professional sports team still in existence that continuously has been based in Western Canada and the oldest in North America to continuously have been based west of St. Louis, Missouri . The team changed their name to the Regina Roughriders in 1924, and to the current moniker in 1946. The Roughriders played their home games at historic Taylor Field from 1936 to 2016; in 2017 ,

10235-465: The playoffs for the first time since 1975 and won, they lost the West Final to the eventual champion Edmonton Eskimos , missing a close chance to play in the Grey Cup at home. After their strong 2003 campaign, the Roughriders were expected to build upon that success in 2004 . While the team regressed slightly with a 9–9 record, they won the West Semi-Final over the Eskimos and advanced to

10350-433: The playoffs in four of the next five seasons, including two seasons with winning records, but lost in the West Semi-Final each time to either of the two Alberta teams, the Calgary Stampeders or Edmonton Eskimos . In 1995 , Regina hosted the Grey Cup for the first time in league history, giving the Roughriders an opportunity to compete for the championship at home. Unfortunately, the Roughriders finished in sixth place in

10465-533: The playoffs in three of their next five seasons, play from 1942 to 1944 was interrupted by World War II . While there was no regular season in 1945 , the Roughriders did play the newly named Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Finals, but lost the series two games to none. With the folding of both clubs in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon, the Regina Roughriders became a provincially community-owned club (and has remained so since), and, consequently, changed their name to

10580-408: The record for most career receiving yards. Simon played for the Lions from 2001 to 2012. The 2013 season started off spectacularly for the Roughriders, mainly for Darian Durant and Kory Sheets . The Roughriders went 8–1 in the first nine games and set a record for the best start in franchise history (their previous best was 7–1 during the 1970 season). Running back Kory Sheets had the best start for

10695-437: The right direction as the Roughriders learned how to win and gained valuable playoff experience that they would need for next season. The Roughriders finished with a 9–9 record and a third-place finish in the 1989 season , but still qualified for the playoffs for a second consecutive season. They defeated the Calgary Stampeders 33–26 in the West Semi-Finals in part because of delay run play to Brian Walling who ran 50 yards for

10810-419: The same night as most American high school football games. Toomey Field seated just over 10,000 people—only half the minimum capacity for a CFL stadium. Even if it could have been expanded, it was only connected to Sacramento by way of the narrow Yolo Causeway . In any event, the CFL frequently plays on Saturdays. Faced with an unsustainable travel situation and the lack of a suitable facility, Anderson moved

10925-492: The season with a 12–6 record and brought along with it the Roughriders' first home playoff game since 1988, which became a 26–24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders . This was also their first home playoff win since 1976. The team then followed up with a 26–17 win at BC Place over the BC Lions in the West Division final to give the Roughriders a berth in their first Grey Cup final since 1997 . On November 25, 2007,

11040-557: The season with over 1,700 yards rushing. Before the 1966 season began, the team added the final pieces to the roster by signing defensive tackle Ed McQuarters who was a recent cut by the St. Louis Cardinals, safety and backup quarterback Bruce Bennett, defensive end Don Gerhardt and running back Paul Dudley from the Stampeders. During the 1966 season the Roughriders finally captured the Western Conference regular season title with

11155-464: The second consecutive year. The Roughriders suffered a devastating 33–12 loss to the BC Lions in the western semi-final game, leading to Bishop's release shortly after the loss. In 2009 , the Roughriders were led by quarterback Darian Durant , who had seen his first significant playing time in 2008 and was named the opening day starter. Durant started all 18 games for Saskatchewan and led the team to

11270-597: The strongest team in the province. For the 1911 season, the team changed their colours to blue and white to match the Regina Amateur Athletic Association. Regina went 3-1 in their second season and captured their first SRFU championship by winning a one game tiebreaker playoff against Moose Jaw. Meanwhile, the Western Canada Rugby Football Union had been formed within the three prairie provinces with

11385-447: The team afloat; Roughriders management privately knew the Montreal Alouettes were almost certainly going to fold before the season got underway (Montreal would not return for nearly a decade), and the Riders were determined not to let the same fate befall them. The province-wide "Save the Roughriders" telethon was a success in that the team sold enough tickets to keep the team in operation. Also in 1986, team executive Tom Shepherd founded

11500-487: The team moved to the newly constructed Mosaic Stadium at Evraz Place. The team draws fans from across Saskatchewan and Canada who are affectionately known as the Rider Nation . The Roughriders play in the smallest market in the CFL, and the second-smallest major-league market in North America (only Green Bay, Wisconsin is smaller). They have finished first in what is now the West Division eight times and have won

11615-992: The team to San Antonio as the Texans for the 1995 CFL season . San Antonio had the benefits of having a brand-new stadium, the Alamodome , and was geographically close to the American CFL clubs in Shreveport, Memphis , and Birmingham , greatly reducing travel burdens. The Texans only played one season in San Antonio before the CFL exited the American market. Gold Miners games were broadcast on KFBK radio and KRBK-TV with Tim Roye and Lee Grosscup on radio and Grant Napear and Jack Youngblood on television. Roye replaced Youngblood as TV analyst in 1994 and former San Francisco Giants announcer David Glass became

11730-477: The telethon, and thus had to remain confidential until formally announced by the respective commissioners. The Roughriders qualified again for the playoffs that same year for the first time since 1994, when they did so with a losing record, which was a first for the team since 1948 . The team made the most of their opportunity as they defeated both of the Alberta-based teams, the Stampeders and Eskimos in

11845-622: The war. However, this story is more often associated with the Ottawa club. While it has been suggested that some of the troops may have eventually moved out west , the Roughriders did not adopt their name until 1924, by which time the Spanish–American War was (especially in Canada) barely a historical footnote compared to the then-much more recent (and much more climactic) First World War . Following World War I, any attempt to deliberately name

11960-497: The west for the seventh time in the 22nd Grey Cup , but lost to the Sarnia Imperials in that club's first Grey Cup win. In 1928, Park Hughes was combined with Park de Young, a neighbouring baseball field, to create a much larger football venue. However, from 1929 to 1935, the Roughriders played most of their games at the larger exhibition grounds. In 1936, Regina joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Bronks as

12075-412: Was Hornet Stadium , which was well below the standards expected for a professional football team. At the time, it was made up mostly of temporary-style bleacher seats. It only had threadbare amenities, and fans were forced to use port-a-potties. The stadium was also uncovered, and offered no protection from Sacramento's often oppressive summer heat. One area in which Hornet Stadium would prove to be ideal

12190-673: Was Jack Youngblood , who was the Gold Miners' Director of Marketing in 1993 and 1994, which was a similar post he held with the Surge in 1991 and 1992. Rick Mueller , the team's wide receivers coach (after serving as a defensive assistant with the Surge) and later director of player personnel, later would become general manager of the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League . When the 1993 CFL season started,

12305-568: Was described as a rebuilding process, the Roughriders began the Shivers and Barrett era with two consecutive last place finishes in 2000 and 2001, missing the playoffs in both years. In 2002 , progress was being made as Saskatchewan made the playoffs for the first time since their 1997 Grey Cup run with an 8–10 record and a fourth-place finish. The team played in the East Semi-Final due to the crossover rule instituted in 1997, playing in

12420-468: Was field size; because it was built with a running track, it was relatively easy to accommodate the full length and width of the larger Canadian field (110 yards x 65 yards [with 20 yard endzones] vs 100 yards x 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards [with 10 yard endzones] for the American field) within the track and only cut small portions of the corners, a situation accommodated at a few other Canadian stadiums as well. Attendance did hover around 15,000 per game, but it

12535-694: Was founded as the Regina Rugby Club on Tuesday, September 13, 1910, adopting the colours of old gold and purple. The team was also a founding member of the Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union as it was organized on September 22 of that year. Regina played their first game against the Moose Jaw Tigers on October 1, 1910, at the Moose Jaw Baseball Grounds where they were defeated 16–6. After going winless in their inaugural season, Regina quickly became

12650-469: Was halted altogether. In 1921 , the Western champion was invited to compete for the Grey Cup national championship for the first time. Regina again went undefeated in the regular season, but were required to play the Saskatoon Quakers for the provincial championship as travel difficulties had prevented Saskatoon from playing the other southern teams. Regina defeated Saskatoon, but the result

12765-427: Was inadequate even for temporary use, Anderson decided to look for a new home for the Gold Miners. However, the only other football stadiums in the area, Sacramento City College 's Charles C. Hughes Stadium (where the Surge had played in 1991) and UC Davis ' Toomey Field , were similarly unacceptable. Hughes Stadium was ruled out because it was used by several high schools; the CFL plays many games on Friday nights,

12880-427: Was named the new head coach of the Roughriders. The Roughriders signed two of the top Canadian players available in free agency in non-import offensive linemen Brendon LaBatte and Dominic Picard . However, they were not so fortunate with all-star linebacker Jerrell Freeman , who led the league in tackles in 2011 and departed for the NFL . The Roughriders also lost outstanding Canadian slotback Andy Fantuz , who led

12995-504: Was overturned after a successful protest concerning an early touchdown which had provided the decisive points. The Quakers won the rematch to mark the only time other than their inaugural season that the Regina Rugby Club did not win the SRFU championship while it was their primary competition. Ultimately, the Edmonton Eskimos travelled east to play in the 9th Grey Cup . The team's rise to early prominence came even as it led

13110-420: Was reportedly surprised to get the job, claiming that Bills owner Ralph Wilson "never explained his reasons for selecting me." Under Stephenson, the Bills went 8–8 in 1983, 2–14 in 1984, and after they lost their first four games in 1985, Stephenson was replaced by Hank Bullough . Perhaps the most lasting impression that Stephenson left on the Bills was changing their helmet color from white to red prior to

13225-407: Was widely known that as many as 2,000 of those 15,000 were given free tickets. In 1993 the average home attendance was 16,979, but in 1994 the average home attendance fell to 14,226. Unable to persuade Sacramento State to upgrade Hornet Stadium to something approaching professional standards, Anderson tried to get the city to build a new stadium for the Gold Miners and his minor-league baseball club,

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