Winnipeg Blue Bombers unveil 2018 schedule

[TrueBlue]

Home Opener Thursday, June 14 @ 7:30pm vs Edmonton

WINNIPEG, MB., December 14, 2017 –   The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will kick off the 2018 regular season at home against the visiting Edmonton Eskimos for the first game of the 2018 CFL season on Thursday, June 14th at 7:30 p.m. CT. With all eyes on Investors Group Field as the CFL season begins, the home opener will also feature a halftime band to be announced at a later date.

This will be the only home Thursday night game of the calendar year, as the Club has taken fan wishes into consideration and worked hard with the league to avoid weeknight games. In all, the Bombers will host five regular season Friday night games and three home games on Saturday.Among the 2018 schedule highlights, the Bombers will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders twice in the coming year.

After being on the road for weeks two and three, the Bombers are back home at Investors Group Field for a Saturday night game against West Division rivals, the B.C. Lions, July 7^th.

The team is then back on the road for weeks five and six before hosting the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts July 27^th for Friday Night Football, followed by a bye in week eight.

Weeks nine and ten will also see Friday NightFootball at Investors Group Field with the Bombers facing two East Division teams in the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (August 10) and Ottawa REDBLACKS (August 17).

The Bombers wrap up the month of August on the road in Calgary to face the Stampeders and begin the following month in Regina for the annual Labour Day Classic September 2^nd. 

The long-rivalled Roughriders then visit Winnipeg for the much-anticipated Casinos of Winnipeg Banjo Bowl on Saturday, September 8^th at 3:00 p.m., and will return Saturday, October 13^th for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

“Fans from around the province have said they’d like to see more weekend games in the summer, and we’re pleased to be able to offer that in 2018,” said President & CEO Wade Miller. “We look forward to hosting the league opener on June 14^th right here at home. We’d like to thank the CFL, who worked tirelessly to accommodate all teams and release the schedule months earlier this year.”

Season tickets and flex packs for the 2018 regular season are available by calling 204-784-7448 or by going online.

[blueingreenland]

Schedule out? Season moved up 2 weeks? Wow this Commissioner doesn't fool around!

[sweep the leg]

I wonder why we play the Riders three times again this season? 

[blueingreenland]

I guess the old saying "The real season starts at Labour Day" no longer applies. 

[CodyT]

I, for one, am super happy about this schedule. Nice to see the season start a couple weeks earlier.

 

I did however like the Thursday games, owning a concession business I am working every single weekend of the summer. So I will not be attending any games in the summer this year

[blueingreenland]

The good news is training camp is closer...

The other good news is I can now make my summer plans to visit Manitoba

[SPuDS]

19 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

I wonder why we play the Riders three times again this season? 

the league knows what the fans want.  they want the bombers and riders butting heads as often as possible.

[blueingreenland]

I'm sure glad the Bomber don't play July 28th. I'd hate to tell my daughter I can't make her wedding 

[Noeller]

17 minutes ago, blueingreenland said:

The good news is training camp is closer...

The other good news is I can now make my summer plans to visit Manitoba

Seconding all of this -- I can now plan summer holidays!

[TrueBlue]

37 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

I wonder why we play the Riders three times again this season? 

Each team from the west always has two 3-game divisional series in a season and it's just a natural rotation.  Regina had 2 home games against us this year, whereas next year we will host them twice.  Same thing happened in 2014 and 2015. 

[Noeller]

I, for one, welcome as many opportunities as possible to make those assholes look stupid....let's **** their **** up next year real good.

[sweep the leg]

28 minutes ago, TrueBlue said:

Each team from the west always has two 3-game divisional series in a season and it's just a natural rotation. 

I understand that we need to play two Western teams three times each. What I'm wondering is why wouldn't we have Calgary and Edmonton three times next season, after playing Sask & BC three times this year.

[Jaxon]

Kudo's to the league for getting this out earlier than we are used to.   Moving the Argo's from Skydome to BMO was one of the pieces that helped this out.

[blueingreenland]

I mistakedly thought the early start to the schedule was due to the whole season being moved up...looks like it's moved up only because of the 3rd bye week. 

Not sure I like a 3rd bye week...hope it actually does something for player safety

[TrueBlue]

20 hours ago, sweep the leg said:

I understand that we need to play two Western teams three times each. What I'm wondering is why wouldn't we have Calgary and Edmonton three times next season, after playing Sask & BC three times this year.

Because the way it tries to work is that you play the 3-game series with the same team two years in a row, so that the each team gets a chance to host the other team twice that season.

It's no secret that the Sask/Wpg rivalry is a big draw everytime, which is just good for the league.

[rebusrankin]

I don't know, according to Darryl Davis of Saskatchewan, the schedule is flawed. Not sure why the CFL keeps ignoring the wishes of the world's greatest fans.

[blue_gold_84]

10 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

I don't know, according to Darryl Davis of Saskatchewan, the schedule is flawed. Not sure why the CFL keeps ignoring the wishes of the self-proclaimed world's greatest fans of "Canada's Team."

Fixed that for ya. 

Anyway, I'm a huge fan of the 2018 schedule. More Friday games is muy bueno in my books!

[Atomic]

2 hours ago, TrueBlue said:

Because the way it tries to work is that you play the 3-game series with the same team two years in a row, so that the each team gets a chance to host the other team twice that season.

It's no secret that the Sask/Wpg rivalry is a big draw everytime, which is just good for the league.

Wade Miller was on the radio yesterday and he said that this past season was a special case and they specifically went off the regular rotation to ensure a SSK-WPG game for the Mosaic grand opening.

[TrueBlue]

3 minutes ago, Atomic said:

Wade Miller was on the radio yesterday and he said that this past season was a special case and they specifically went off the regular rotation to ensure a SSK-WPG game for the Mosaic grand opening.

Indeed they did.  There was only 1 season in between our 3-game series with them (2016).  Typically when you play two 3-game series against the same team two seasons in a row,  you will only play them twice each of the next two seasons.

[Captain Blue]

I love this schedule. Less weekday games is great. I personally find Thursday games awful for work schedules.

[jazzsax]

Love the schedule. And love that we don't finish the year in Calgary like pretty much every other year. 

[SPuDS]

14 minutes ago, Captain Blue said:

I love this schedule. Less weekday games is great. I personally find Thursday games awful for work schedules.

Ya me too.. always was groggy on friday mornings or have to haul ass to get home in time for decent sleep.

[Noeller]

14 minutes ago, jazzsax said:

Love the schedule. And love that we don't finish the year in Calgary like pretty much every other year. 

Summer game in Calgary vs November game in Calgary makes me quite happy.....

[FrostyWinnipeg]

Hmm its like the season starts  2 weeks early but still ends in late Nov.

[Sard]

3 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Hmm its like the season starts  2 weeks early but still ends in late Nov.

As has been stated a few times already, the earlier start is to accomodate the 3rd bye week that every team will have this year.