NFL officials visit IGF amid Winnipeg’s push to host Packers, Raiders game

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/04/2019 (2339 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Football Club continues to push to host an National Football League pre-season game this summer.

NFL officials were in Winnipeg on Thursday to get an up-close look at Investors Group Field and its facilities, Free Press sources confirmed Friday. There was also a series of meetings to go over logistics of hosting the proposed game, which is being planned for the third week of August between the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders, both of whom had their own team officials present.

The Free Press reported last month that the WFC was strongly committed to winning the NFL’s bid to host an exhibition game in Canada. The report came shortly after plans fell through to have the game in Regina, at Mosaic Stadium, due to the short turnaround time for the Roughriders game the next day.

The timing doesn’t seem to be an issue for Winnipeg. The Bombers are scheduled to be on the road, in Edmonton, for a Week 11 matchup with the Eskimos, on Aug. 23. They’re also in Saskatchewan the following week for the annual Labour Day Classic game against the Roughriders. There is, however, a Valour FC game, the city’s new soccer team in the Canadian Premier League, scheduled for Aug. 22.

The Bombers issued a statement Mar. 26 that didn’t confirm, nor deny the report of an NFL game being planned, stating: “The Winnipeg Football Club is always exploring opportunities to host events at Investors Group Field. At this time, the club has no further comment.”

The Bombers did not respond when asked for comment Friday. It’s still uncertain whether Winnipeg has officially won the bid, but it’s obvious now they’re doing whatever they can to make it work.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton