1980
The Lions' consecutive playoff appearance streak ends at one, as coach Rapp led his team to an 8-7-1 record. The team missed the postseason. Off the field, the decision was made to begin construction of a new downtown indoor stadium.

1981
The Lions returned to third place with 10-6 mark in 1981, again upsetting Winnipeg in the semi-final before losing a 22-16 heartbreaker in the Final. Paopao and sophomore Roy Dewalt, have record setting Ty Grey as their big deep-threat receiver, and rookie Larry Crawford led the league in interceptions. Labatt's Breweries of B.C. is welcomed as the new major sponsor in a marketing agreement that brings financial aid to the club.

1982
Rookie receiver Merv Fernandez served notice that he was a star of the future, but is runner-up in the Schenley Rookie voting to Ottawa's Chris Isaac. Despite a 9-7 record, the Lions again finished in fourth out of the playoffs. At the end of the year it was decided a change was needed and the coaching staff is relieved of it's duties. The highlight of the year was Willie Fleming being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.

1983
Former Edmonton Defensive Co-ordinator Don Matthews was appointed Head Coach in January. The combination of Dewalt to Fernandez led the attack and the defence sets a new CFL record of 42 interceptions as the Lions 11-5 record was the second-best in Club history and returned them to first place for the first time since 1964. The historic year also marked the construction of B.C. Place Stadium, the new home of the Lions which opened in June. B.C. Place is the sight of their Western Final victory over Winnipeg, and the ‘83 Grey Cup game where B.C. faced Toronto to end a 19-year absence from the classic. The Argos take a 18-17 victory to the anguish of hometown fans.

1984
The biggest trade since the Kapp deal brought all-star James Parker to the Lions defence from Edmonton. A number of new faces gave the club more depth than ever before, but a second straight first place finish was dampened by the late season loss of Dewalt to injury. In a repeat Western Final matchup at B.C. Place, Winnipeg triumphs and goes on to win the Grey Cup. Average crowds in excess of 40,000 in each of the first two years in the new stadium reversed the club's fortunes financially and debenture holders are receiving early repayment. Both Joe Kapp and Tom Brown were inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.

While Fernandez shatters club received records again and sophomore receiver Jim Sandusky broke the 1,000 yards mark, defensive tackle Mike Gray was the most visible of several rookies and Clash returned punts for over 1,100 yards, just missing the league record. With depth and few injuries, the final season record of 13-3 was the best in club history, bringing its third consecutive first place finish and Western Final matchup with Winnipeg, who has won both regular season meetings. Fernandez was out for the playoffs with a leg injury, but the Lions rose to the occasion to beat the Bombers. A week later the same line-up played Hamilton at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, and 21 years of waiting ended with a 37-24 Grey Cup championship victory over the Tiger-Cats.

1986
Defending their championship proved even harder than winning it the year before, as the Lions battled the Eskimos, Bombers, the injury bug and the newly extended 18 game regular season. The Lions reached the halfway mark at 7-2 losing at Edmonton and at home to Calgary, then ran their record to 9-2 before hitting a four game losing streak, started by back to back losses to Edmonton. In danger of finishing fourth in the tough West, the club rebounded to win back to back games from Winnipeg to end the season 12-6 and finish second. Under the new playoff format, the Lions met the Bombers for a third straight week, winning the semi-final and then travelling to Edmonton for their first Western Final game on the road in four years. Playing without Konar and Jackson, the Lions lost their fourth game of the year to the Eskimos, ending their hopes of defending their title in front of a home crowd at B.C.Place. Off the field, the big news and shocker of the year was the departure of GM Bob Ackles to the Dallas Cowboys, ending his 33 year association with the Club. He left in July, and was replaced by former Montreal GM Joe Galat in August.

1987
The Lions began the post-Mervyn era in impressive style disposing of their first four opponents. The team seemed to lack focus through the middle of the season, looking invincible in one game and lethargic the next. Entering the last half of the year, the Lions were still in contention for first place but not playing like a team driving for a title. When the team suffered a three-game losing streak, General Manager Joe Galat fired Don Matthews, the winningest coach in Lions history with just four games to go. They instantly responded to new Coach Larry Donovan, winning the final four games including a thrilling come-from-behind 33-32 victory over Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium that many observers called the greatest comeback ever witnessed in the league. The win gave the Lions first place for the fourth time in five years. The home field advantage wasn't enough however to stave off an Eskimo team destined to win the finest Grey Cup game ever played.

1988
The competition cap forced the Lions to start the season with 22 new faces in their lineup, one of which was star quarterback Matt Dunigan who was acquired in a trade with Edmonton. Despite the large number of new players, the team jelled and finished the regular season with a 10-8 record. The club surged at the end of the season and entered the playoffs with momentum and being touted as the favourite to win the Grey Cup. The Leos managed hard-earned playoff victories over the Eskimos and Roughriders. That set the stage for the Grey Cup showdown in front of a crowd in excess of 50,000 in unseasonably mild but windy conditions in Ottawa. The lead changed hands several times during the game. B.C. drove to the Winnipeg seven-yard line in the dying minutes only to have Matt Dunigan's pass deflected by two defenders and intercepted to snuff out the drive, Winnipeg went on to win the contest 22-21.

1989
Buoyed by their Grey Cup appearance in 1988, the Lions entered the 1989 season with optimism. But the team opened with a loss to Edmonton in Commonwealth Stadium, going on to lose three more games before Coach Larry Donovan was released and replaced by General Manager Joe Galat. After dropping their fifth straight game to Edmonton, the Lions put together a four-game winning streak, fueling playoff hopes. However, in games 10 and 11, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers shattered those hopes, rolling over the Leos 53-34 in Winnipeg, and then edging the Lions 24-20 in overtime in Vancouver. The Lions never did get back on track and finished the year with a 7-11 record. The Lions missed the playoffs for the first time since 1982, despite breaking the club's scoring record. Bright spots included Darrell Wallace, who was voted Western Rookie-of-theYear (he was second in the CFL in total offensive yardage) and wide receiver David Williams, who made the Western All-Star Team.