Bombers start 2020 season in Hamilton with Grey Cup rematch

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This article was published 16/12/2019 (2091 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won’t have to wait long before playing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a rematch of the 107th Grey Cup game.

The Canadian Football League released early Monday its league-wide schedule for the 2020 season, and the reigning-champion Bombers will open their campaign on the road Week 1 against the Tiger-Cats on Saturday, June 13. Winnipeg defeated Hamilton 33-12 in Calgary nearly a month ago to capture its first Grey Cup title in 29 years.

The Bombers are then off for the first of three bye weeks before playing their first game at IG Field Friday, June 26 against the Calgary Stampeders. The other two byes come in Week 7 and Week 17, meaning, at most, the Bombers play in nine consecutive weeks. If you’re looking for a comparison, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are unfairly being asked to play 16 weeks straight before earning a break.

Winnipeg will play nine times at home — this year’s neutral-site game will be played between the Toronto Argonauts and Roughriders, with a possible destination being Mexico — with three games each being played on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The only home-and-home series played by the Bombers this year will be against the Roughriders in the annual Labour Day Classic/Banjo Bowl doubleheader in early September. Winnipeg is on the road for back-to-back games twice this season, including in the final two matches, with dates against the B.C. Lions and Montreal Alouettes.

The Bombers will play both the Stampeders and Eskimos three times in 2020 and the rest of the league twice. Last season, Winnipeg played Calgary and Saskatchewan three times, including travelling to play the Roughriders twice. They’ll travel to Calgary twice for the second time in as many years, while Edmonton will head to Winnipeg for two of its road games.

The post-season will get underway with the division semifinal games played on Sunday, Nov. 8, while the 108th Grey Cup will be hosted Sunday, Nov. 22, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

2020 Bombers schedule (All times CT):

Pre-season Week 1 — vs. Edmonton Eskimos (Sunday, May 24 — 3 p.m.)

Pre-season Week 2 — at Saskatchewan Roughriders (Friday, June 5 — 8:30 p.m.)

Regular-season (18 games; 3 bye weeks)

Week 1 — at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Saturday, June 13 — 6 p.m.)

Week 2 — bye

Week 3 — vs. Calgary Stampeders (Friday, June 26 — 7:30 p.m.)

Week 4 — at Edmonton Eskimos (Friday, July 3 — 8 p.m.)

Week 5 — vs. Montreal Alouettes (Thursday, July 9 — 7:30 p.m.)

Week 6 — vs. B.C. Lions (Thursday, July 16 — 7:30 p.m.)

Week 7 — bye

Week 8 — at Toronto Argonauts (Friday, July 31 — 6 p.m.)

Week 9 — at Ottawa Redblacks (Thursday, Aug. 6 — 6:30 p.m.)

Week 10 — vs. Edmonton Eskimos (Friday, Aug. 14 — 7:30 p.m.)

Week 11 — at Calgary Stampeders (Thursday, Aug. 20 — 8 p.m.)

Week 12 — vs. Ottawa Redblacks (Thursday, Aug. 27 — 7:30 p.m.)

Week 13 — at Saskatchewan Roughriders (Sunday, Sept. 6 — 6 p.m.)

Week 14 — vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Saturday, Sept. 12 — 3 p.m.)

Week 15 — vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Saturday, Sept. 19 — 6 p.m.)

Week 16 — at Calgary Stampeders (Friday, Sept. 25 — 8:30 p.m.)

Week 17 — bye

Week 18 — vs. Edmonton Eskimos (Friday, Oct. 9 — 7 p.m.)

Week 19 — vs. Toronto Argonauts (Saturday, Oct. 17 — 6 p.m.)

Week 20 — at B.C. Lions (Friday, Oct. 23 — 9 p.m.)

Week 21 — at Montreal Alouettes (Saturday, Oct. 31 — 3 p.m.)

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton