Possible CFL-in-Halifax ownership group emerges as extra capacity is added for Touchdown Atlantic

During the recent sale of the Montreal Alouettes CFL franchise to a new ownership group, league commissioner Randy Ambrosie said a potential owner of a future permanent team in the Maritimes has been identified.

“You are actually spot on,” said Ambrosie. “In fact, we have one of those very situations that is unfolding in this case.”

Ambrosie is insistent, the biggest obstacle to putting a new CFL franchise in the Maritimes relies on identifying a solid owner.

“We need to line up these potential ownership groups,” said Ambrosie. “We can get to know them and the have them get to know us.”

TSN football analyst Dave Naylor said having discussion with a viable team owner, “is a huge reason for optimism.”

But fans should temper their excitement because Quebec City is now competing with Halifax for an expansion team.

“There is some fatigue creeping into this story,” said Naylor of the ongoing discussion of adding a new team in Halifax. “That is why the league is saying, there are some other places we can now look.“

At Saint Mary’s Huskies Stadium in Halifax, the newly constructed pop-up stadium is almost game-ready.

All 10,000 tickets for the July 29 regular season CFL game have been sold.

“And now we are going to put on sale another thousand,” said Ambrosie, who added those tickets will be for a standing room-only section behind the end zone, in the south section of the stadium. “That is such a critical part of the game experience.”

Which means the game will likely see more than 11,000 fans crammed into the venue.