IG Field being rebranded to Princess Auto Stadium
Posted January 23, 2024 5:18 pm.
Last Updated January 23, 2024 7:21 pm.
Since 2019, IG Field has been the site for countless special moments for Blue Bombers fans, as the club has enjoyed a 27-3 record on home turf en route to three straight trips to the Grey Cup final.
But as of Tuesday, Bombers Nation will have a new name to get used to ahead of the upcoming season, with the club announcing a 10-year agreement to rename the home of the bombers to Princess Auto Stadium.
“Princess Auto Stadium will be more than a sports venue, but instead a symbol of community, strength, resilience and unity. It represents a future where not only will celebrate wins on the field, but also champion the spirit of teamwork and cooperation that Princess Auto exemplifies,” said Wade Miller, the CEO of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Winnipeg-based tool and equipment retailer will replace IG Wealth Management as the football club’s official stadium naming rights partner beginning in April.
While this is the third year that Princess Auto has partnered with the Bombers, CEO Ken Larson was quick to point out that the family-owned companies’ passion for the Blue and Gold, runs far deeper than that.
“Our founder Harvey Tallman, was a huge Bombers fan. Watching them every day until his passing at 99-years-old this past year, wherever he was in the world he tuned into the Bombers,” explained Larson.
“Today Matt and Mark Tallman, put their stamp on the continued passion for this organization, and more importantly for this city, this province, and I believe for Canada because the CFL is our game and it stretches from coast to coast with all of our team members and all of our customers
With the Blue Bombers looking to rebound from consecutive Grey Cup defeats this upcoming season, Larson is excited about the potential of bringing the Grey Cup home to Winnipeg.
“We are looking forward to calling this stadium the home of the Grey Cup Champions, not just Princess Auto Stadium,” said Larson.
Last week the Blue Bombers also announced the stadium would be getting major upgrades ahead of the 2024 CFL and CPL seasons.
Miller said the team was partnering with FieldTurf for the upgrade, which would see the field be changed to Field Turf Vertex – Core 1 — a high-quality tuf system that includes CoolPlay TPE infill, which is designed to reduce heat build-up in the summer months.
Due to the field upgrades, both the Bombers and Valour FC will not be able to play at home until the last week of May.
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Valour FC will host Vancouver FC on June 2 in their home opener. Meanwhile, the Blue Bombers will host the Calgary Stampeders in their final preseason game on May 31.
The newly named Princess Auto Stadium is set to host the Grey Cup Final in 2025.
