Lionbackers.com

Fans of the BC Lions will not only have a chance to watch their club in their old stomping grounds of Empire Fields in 2010, they’ll also be watching them take on league rivals on weekends for seven of the team’s nine regular season home dates.

The Leos will begin their 57th season with a road game in Edmonton on Sunday, July 4th before opening their 2010 home schedule on Saturday, July 10th against the defending West Division champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The rest of the recently released 2010 CFL schedule includes five more Saturday match-ups for the Leos as well as two Friday night games and a Sunday afternoon tilt to wrap up the regular season. In all, fans will be treated to two Sunday afternoon matchups starting at 2:00 pm including the pre-season game versus the Edmonton Eskimos as well a Saturday afternoon tilt in September against Toronto that kicks off at 1:00 pm.

“We are very pleased with the 2010 schedule and we believe our fans will be as well,” said Lions vice president of business, George Chayka. “With six games played on Saturdays and three afternoon starts in total, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to return outdoors for the first time in 27 years. Five weekend games after Labour Day and three afternoon starts are great news for Lions fans outside the Lower Mainland or traveling from Interior BC.”

The remainder of the Leos’ home schedule against West Division foes includes two visits by the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, August 7th and Friday, August 27th. The Edmonton Eskimos will make their lone regular season visit on Saturday, October 16th.

In addition to helping the Leos kickoff the regular season home schedule on July 10th, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will also provide the opposition for the club’s final home game with an afternoon visit on Sunday, October 31st.

“I am very satisfied with the overall schedule,” said Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono. “From a player standpoint, I know the atmosphere in our stadium will be electric and provide a home field advantage that rivals any team in our league.”

The reigning Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes will make the trek west on Friday, July 16th while the Toronto Argonauts make their lone trip to Vancouver on Saturday, September 11th. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will look to avenge their loss in the 2009 East Semi-Final with a visit on Saturday, September 18th and the new-look Winnipeg Blue Bombers will travel out west for the first half of a back-to-back series on Saturday, October 2nd.

During the pre-season, the Lions travel to Saskatchewan on Sunday, June 13th and will face the Edmonton Eskimos at home on Sunday, June 20th.

The_Pauser wrote:And they got the Halloween game right. Although it's on a Sunday, but it's a 2pm start so families (and partygoers) can go to the game and then still enjoy the Halloween festivities afterwards.

Robbie wrote: With the outdoor stadium and the cold, rainy weather come October, for three home games the Felions must cover up.
One of those three home games is on Halloween, so Felions will wear Halloween costumes again.