Reason behind Saskatchewan Roughriders not getting access to Winnipeg’s home dressing room for the 112th Grey Cup

Why the Saskatchewan Roughriders won’t have Winnipeg’s home locker room for the 112th Grey Cup

When the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the B.C. Lions in the West Final on Saturday, many assumed they’d earn the home locker room at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg for the upcoming 112th Grey Cup. Traditionally, the West Division champion has been treated as the home team when the championship is played in a Western venue — and vice versa for the East.

That’s why the Roughriders expected to use the Blue Bombers’ home dressing room, just as Winnipeg did at Mosaic Stadium in 2022 when they represented the West in the 109th Grey Cup. However, the CFL has introduced a new rotation rule to ensure balance between the divisions.

A league spokesperson confirmed that the designation of home and away teams will now alternate annually between the West and East Division winners, regardless of where the Grey Cup is held. Since the next four Grey Cups will all take place in Western markets — Vancouver (2024), Winnipeg (2025), Calgary (2026), and Regina (2027) — this rule prevents Eastern teams from being the “away” side for four straight years.

As a result, the Montreal Alouettes have been named the home team for Sunday’s championship. They’ll wear their blue home uniforms and occupy the Blue Bombers’ locker room, while the Roughriders will don white jerseys and use the University of Manitoba Bisons’ facilities.

There is one exception: if a host city’s team reaches the Grey Cup, they automatically become the home side, overriding the rotation. In this case, had the Blue Bombers advanced, they would have kept their home designation despite the East’s turn in the cycle.

The change is part of the CFL’s effort to maintain fairness between divisions — and though it means Saskatchewan won’t enjoy Winnipeg’s locker room this year, the rule should ensure a more balanced setup for future Grey Cups.