GREY CUP UNITE, CONNECTED THROUGH FOOTBALL: BRINGING CFL FANS TOGETHER NOVEMBER 16-22

TORONTO (October 29, 2020) – Canadian Football League (CFL) fans are invited to come together for Grey Cup Unite, a free and safe celebration of our game, from November 16 to 22.

“The pandemic cannot defeat the spirit of our fans or the power of our game to bring them together,” said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League.

“That’s the message we’re sending today announcing Grey Cup Unite, a week of virtual and safely distanced events that will reconnect our fans with our league and with each other. We may not be able to gather for a traditional Grey Cup week but we can still stand united.”

The CFL, its nine member clubs and its broadcast partners, TSN and RDS, will spend the week delivering special events and programming online and in socially distanced environments.

Grey Cup Unite promises exciting new twists on some traditional Grey Cup events along with some brand new ideas:

• Fan State of the League: Commissioner Randy Ambrosie will kick off Grey Cup Unite on Monday, November 16 with a special virtual town hall where he will update fans on the league’s plans for the future. 
• Head Coaches' Conference: The league’s nine head coaches, in groups of three, will be showcased in three media availabilities, on Wednesday, November 18. 
• Diversity Is Strength: Racial Justice Roundtable: On Wednesday, November 18, the CFL and the CFL Players' Association will present a roundtable featuring alumni, coaching personnel and current players as they discuss their personal experiences with prejudice and discrimination.  The event is hosted by Gemini-nominated broadcaster and the host of the Waggle, Donnovan Bennett.
• All-Decade Awards: Instead of the usual CFL Awards on Thursday, November 19, fans will be treated to a special show that reveals the 2010-2020 All-Decade Team presented by Leo Vegas as selected by CFL fans and committee, including interviews with players named to the team. The show will also announce the Game of the Decade presented by Dr. Oetker Giuseppe Pizzeria, which will also be voted on by fans, leading up to Grey Cup Unite. 
• Player Media Day: Top CFL players will be available to the media on Thursday, November 19.
• Changing the Game presented by AU - Virtual Business Summit: This business summit on Tuesday, November 17 will examine key issues facing Canadian business at this critical time -- Innovation in the New Economy, Preparing for Canada’s Recovery presented by MNP and Embracing Diversity and Inclusion.  Participants will include Bruce Croxon, Managing Partner, Round 13; former Dragon's Den investor & co-founder of Lavalife, Girish Ganesan; Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, TD Bank Group, and Head of Talent, TD Bank, as well as Trinh Tham, Chief Marketing Officer, SVP Marketing & E-Commerce at Harry Rosen.

And more details of events will be shared between now and Grey Cup Unite. For updates, more information and to register to attend Grey Cup Unite events, visit GreyCupUnite.ca

“Frankly, we hated it last month when Labour Day came and went and all we could do was think about how much we miss live CFL football, “ Ambrosie said.

“We vowed that come November, when we usually host Grey Cup Week, it would be different. Grey Cup Unite will focus not on what we miss but on what we have: tremendous fans and a bright future.”