If the 2021 CFL season is a go, the Lions will be back at Hillside Stadium starting in early July (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

LIONS TRAINING CAMP

B.C. Lions returning to Kamloops for training camp if CFL moves ahead with shortened 14-game season

Apr 22, 2021 | 5:11 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s been a summer staple in Kamloops for more than a decade, and after a year off — with the 2020 CFL season cancelled due to the pandemic — the B.C. Lions will be back at Hillside Stadium to prepare for a shortened 2021 season.

“We’ve been working with the City of Kamloops from the beginning to be honest. We were ready to go for May 15, which was initially our starting date,” Lions’ co-GM and director of football operations Neil McEvoy told CFJC Today. “All this [delay] has done is given us more time to prepare. With the COVID restrictions that are being put in place by the healthcare professionals, there’s a lot more planning, logistical things that we have to go through and need to work out with the city.”

The Lions are scheduled to arrive in early July to prepare for an Aug. 5 kick-off. Training camp this year will be more important than ever. With a season off, many of the players won’t have played a meaningful football game in almost two years.

The Lions also have a new coaching staff with Rick Campbell taking over the reins.

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“A lot of these guys have not played a game in possibly two years, so I think it’s going to be important for us to get guys back to football shape, which is sometimes tough to do when you’re not playing a game,” said McEvoy. “I think it’s going to be important to get all our guys into training camp.”

Last year, when the 2020 season was hanging on by a thread, the B.C. Lions were planning to remain in Surrey. With such a short turnaround, training camp last year would’ve been just five days.

However, with more time to work with in 2021, Kamloops was the team’s No. 1 choice. The Lions have been in discussions with the City of Kamloops about returning. They feel it’s the best destination that gives them everything they need to prepare for a season.

If the 2021 campaign does go ahead and the Lions come, it’ll be a big boost to the city. By coming here, the Lions bring in about $300,000 into the local economy.

“It means a lot to have the Lions in Kamloops — not just from the economy perspective but just for community support and morale,” said the city’s supervisor of business operations and events Sean Smith. “To have things look like they’re returning to normal, and to have some of the old things start to happen again, I think will be good residents and it would great to see some football.”

Despite the CFL announcing on Wednesday the 2021 season will be only 14 games — and not the traditional 18 — the Lions are excited just to have the opportunity to have some kind of season.

“Obviously, we’re an 18-game league. We usually play nine home, nine away and two preseason games, which, as me being the builder of a football team, I like to bring all the rookies in and see them play in that first preseason game and see how guys match up against the other teams,” said McEvoy.

“But in the COVID world, we’re just excited as an organization to get the opportunity to start, so if that means 14 games, if that means less home games — whatever it’s going to take for us to get on the field, I’m happy.”