The CFL’s Grey Cup has had some epic games, and now this year’s Grey Cup Festival is looking to have some epic gamers.
A $50,000 Super Smash Brothers E-sports tournament was announced as part of an initiative to bring in a younger audience to the festival.
The federal government has added up to $2 million for the festival to expand the events under the Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative.
Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds said it was important to keep the event free.
“When we set out to plan the Grey Cup, we wanted a mixture… of some traditional paid events like the CFL awards and those typed of things, but we also wanted a large number of family-friendly free events, so families didn’t have any barriers to come to the festival site and to experience Grey Cup,” he said.
Dylan Edgar, director of events and sponsorships with SKL-E Sports, the presenter of the Path to Glory tournament November 18-19.
“This is something that’s been three years in the making,” he said. We were in contact with the Grey Cup (committee) in 2020 for a League of Legends event. As the environment has shifted, we really wanted to prioritize Super Smash Bros Ultimate because we had the opportunity to be the biggest prize pool in Canada ever.”
He said it lined up with a lot more of the objectives with what the CFL wanted to do, with a more open registration process.
The youth football event will be an expansion of the SaskPower Family Fair. It’s described as a hands-on interactive event with player-led drills, position breakdowns and interactive skills competitions and is free of charge.
There will also be a digital zone at the International Trade Centre November 16 to 19, and is also free to attend. There is a game changers exhibit and a digital zone face-0ff, as well as a virtual CFL combine where fans can get a chance to compete against virtual CFL stars in combine-style events.
Reynolds said they want to engage the youth in ways they’re used to being engaged through these kids of events.
“It’s been a focus for the CFL and here locally for years,” Reynolds said. “You want the youth to be engaged in our league and our product so they come to the stadiums and we get that next generation of fans.”
And the young people will get a taste of what a Grey Cup is all about.
“I think they’ll have a lot of fun, and really that’s what the Grey Cup Festival is all about, it having a good time and having fun, and I think they’ll recognize that when we get to host here in Saskatchewan it’s pretty special and they get to have a good time with their friends and their family.”
The Grey Cup Festival will take place November 15 to 20 at the REAL District.
