Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field
Encyclopedia
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field is a sports stadium
located in Regina, Saskatchewan
which is used primarily to play Canadian football
. It has been the home of the Canadian Football League
's Saskatchewan Roughriders
in rudimentary form since 1910 and as a complete stadium since 1936. Additionally, it is the home field for the University of Regina
Rams, who play in CIS
and the Regina Thunder
who play in the Canadian Junior Football League
. The field is also used to play high school football.
It is owned and managed by the city of Regina. The field has artificial turf
and, as of 2011
, a seating capacity
of 30,048.
Originally, the playing surface was dirt; new topsoil was added every year. However, in 1946, the city recreation board agreed to plant a more stable grass surface.
In 1947 the facility was renamed Taylor Field after recently-deceased Neil J. "Piffles" Taylor
, a First World War fighter pilot and postwar lawyer who played and coached rugby union
and football in the city, and subsequently served as president of the Regina Roughriders (forerunner of the Saskatchewan Roughriders), the Canadian Rugby Union and the Western Interprovincial Football Union. A man of legendary toughness, Taylor lost an eye in action during the First World War, and spent more than a year in a German prisoner of war camp, but persisted in playing football in the 1920s. His artificial glass eye was once jolted out of its socket when he was tackled. All play stopped while players from both teams hunted for the missing eye. When found, Taylor cleaned it, then popped it back into its socket and resumed play.
Renovations in 1978-79 increased the seating capacity by about 7,000 seats with the addition of an upper-level grandstand on the west side of the stadium. In 2005, a new scoreboard was installed, which included the stadium's first permanent giant replay screen.
Former Rider receiver Hugh Campbell said in the documentary CFL Traditions in 2003. "When I first saw the stadium in Regina (in 1963), it looked like a farmer had built it, you know, like they'd just added on a few pieces here and there and half of the dressing room was dirt floor, where us rookies got to be. But we had a hook for everybody to hang their clothes on so that was a pretty good deal."
On June 23, 2006, the Roughriders and The Mosaic Company
announced a 10 year, $3.75 million naming rights
deal. Unlike other similar deals, which have seen original names of facilities disappear, it was decided to retain the Taylor Field name, thus the facility was renamed Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field.
The stadium was the 2nd last in the CFL to use the artificial surface AstroTurf
. FieldTurf
was installed prior to the 2007 season.
and 91st
Grey Cup
games. A temporary grandstand seating for an additional 20,000 spectators was added for each of these games. It has also played host to the field hockey
competition at the 2005 Canada Games
among other notable sporting events over the decades. The stadium also hosts the annual Labour Day Classic
game between the Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers which is usually played on the Sunday of the Labour Day weekend.
The stadium was the site of the three longest field goals in Canadian Football League
history (note that Taylor Field is one of the most windy venues in the CFL due to the windy Saskatchewan climate and the structure of the stadium itself). Paul Watson tied the league record with a 59-yarder against Winnipeg July 12, 1981. Dave Ridgway
hit a 60-yarder against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
September 6, 1987. That record was broken by Paul McCallum
, who kicked a 62-yard field goal against the Edmonton Eskimos
on October 27, 2001 in a 12-3 victory. Ridgway and Mark McLoughlin
of the Calgary Stampeders
have also kicked 58-yard field goals at Taylor Field.
AC/DC
performed at Mosaic Stadium on August 24, 2009 as part of the Black Ice World Tour. Tickets sold out in less than an hour.
It was announced on May 4, 2009 that Aerosmith
would be performing at Mosaic Stadium on August 9 as part of the Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour
. This concert, however, was cancelled due to the injuries that Steve Tyler sustained after falling off the stage in Sturgis, South Dakota
.
Bon Jovi
performed at the stadium on July 28, 2010.
, the temporary seats were taken down, putting the capacity back to the original number of 28,800. However, 2,145 temporary extra seats will be in place for the entire 2009 season
. Temporary seating will again be in place for the 2010 season
; however, the additional seating will only raise capacity to 30,048.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
which is used primarily to play Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
. It has been the home of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
in rudimentary form since 1910 and as a complete stadium since 1936. Additionally, it is the home field for the University of Regina
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
Rams, who play in CIS
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...
and the Regina Thunder
Regina Thunder
The Regina Thunder, originally known as the Prairie Thunder, are a junior football club, based out of Regina, Saskatchewan. The Thunder are a part of the Prairie Football Conference , which is a six member conference with teams from all three prairie provinces...
who play in the Canadian Junior Football League
Canadian Junior Football League
The Canadian Junior Football League is a national amateur Canadian football league consisting of 19 teams playing in six provinces across Canada. The teams compete annually for the Canadian Bowl...
. The field is also used to play high school football.
It is owned and managed by the city of Regina. The field has artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
and, as of 2011
2011 CFL season
The 2011 CFL season was the 58th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 54th season of the league. The complete schedule was released on February 18 and featured the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes opening the season against the visiting BC Lions on...
, a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 30,048.
History
The stadium is located in the North Central portion of Regina. Beginning in 1910, the original "Regina Roughriders" played on a field known as Park Hughes, which is located where the stadium still stands today. In 1927, Park Hughes and the adjoining Park de Young were reconfigured to provide a better venue to accommodate the growing number of Roughrider fans. The first permanent grandstand was built in 1936.Originally, the playing surface was dirt; new topsoil was added every year. However, in 1946, the city recreation board agreed to plant a more stable grass surface.
In 1947 the facility was renamed Taylor Field after recently-deceased Neil J. "Piffles" Taylor
Piffles Taylor
Neil Joseph "Piffles" Taylor was a Canadian World War I pilot, Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He was "largely responsible for the development of football in Western Canada"....
, a First World War fighter pilot and postwar lawyer who played and coached rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and football in the city, and subsequently served as president of the Regina Roughriders (forerunner of the Saskatchewan Roughriders), the Canadian Rugby Union and the Western Interprovincial Football Union. A man of legendary toughness, Taylor lost an eye in action during the First World War, and spent more than a year in a German prisoner of war camp, but persisted in playing football in the 1920s. His artificial glass eye was once jolted out of its socket when he was tackled. All play stopped while players from both teams hunted for the missing eye. When found, Taylor cleaned it, then popped it back into its socket and resumed play.
Renovations in 1978-79 increased the seating capacity by about 7,000 seats with the addition of an upper-level grandstand on the west side of the stadium. In 2005, a new scoreboard was installed, which included the stadium's first permanent giant replay screen.
Former Rider receiver Hugh Campbell said in the documentary CFL Traditions in 2003. "When I first saw the stadium in Regina (in 1963), it looked like a farmer had built it, you know, like they'd just added on a few pieces here and there and half of the dressing room was dirt floor, where us rookies got to be. But we had a hook for everybody to hang their clothes on so that was a pretty good deal."
On June 23, 2006, the Roughriders and The Mosaic Company
The Mosaic Company
The Mosaic Company is a Fortune 500 company based in Plymouth, Minnesota. Mosaic offers two key crop nutrients—phosphate and potash—plus specialty products K-Mag®, MicroEssentials® and Pegasus™...
announced a 10 year, $3.75 million naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
deal. Unlike other similar deals, which have seen original names of facilities disappear, it was decided to retain the Taylor Field name, thus the facility was renamed Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field.
The stadium was the 2nd last in the CFL to use the artificial surface AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
. FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
was installed prior to the 2007 season.
Football and other sports
Taylor Field was the venue for the 83rd83rd Grey Cup
The 83rd Grey Cup aka The Wind Bowl was the 1995 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Baltimore Stallions and the Calgary Stampeders at Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Stallions won the game by a score of 37-20...
and 91st
91st Grey Cup
The 91st Grey Cup was the 2003 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 16 at Taylor Field, in Regina, Saskatchewan before 50,909 fans...
Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
games. A temporary grandstand seating for an additional 20,000 spectators was added for each of these games. It has also played host to the field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
competition at the 2005 Canada Games
2005 Canada Games
The 2005 Canada Summer Games were held in Regina, Saskatchewan from August 6-20, 2005.-Medal standings:-Venues:*Athletics - Douglas Park Track*Baseball - Currie Field and Optimist Park...
among other notable sporting events over the decades. The stadium also hosts the annual Labour Day Classic
Labour Day Classic
The Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
game between the Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers which is usually played on the Sunday of the Labour Day weekend.
The stadium was the site of the three longest field goals in Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
history (note that Taylor Field is one of the most windy venues in the CFL due to the windy Saskatchewan climate and the structure of the stadium itself). Paul Watson tied the league record with a 59-yarder against Winnipeg July 12, 1981. Dave Ridgway
Dave Ridgway
David "Dave" Ridgway was a placekicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. His CFL career began in 1981 when he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. He did not make the squad that year and returned to the University of Toledo to complete his degree in Marketing...
hit a 60-yarder against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
September 6, 1987. That record was broken by Paul McCallum
Paul McCallum
Paul McCallum is a professional Canadian football player currently playing as a placekicker and punter for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League...
, who kicked a 62-yard field goal against the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
on October 27, 2001 in a 12-3 victory. Ridgway and Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin is a former placekicker in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 2003 and the BC Lions in 2005...
of the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
have also kicked 58-yard field goals at Taylor Field.
Concerts
The Rolling Stones played at Mosaic Stadium on the 6th and 8 October 2006. The first concert sold out so quickly a second concert was announced for October 6. Both shows sold out in less than an hour. The concerts reportedly pumped over $10 million into the province of Saskatchewan and together serve as the highest grossing concert event in Canadian history. Together, the concerts are also in the top-40 highest grossing concert events in North America.AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
performed at Mosaic Stadium on August 24, 2009 as part of the Black Ice World Tour. Tickets sold out in less than an hour.
It was announced on May 4, 2009 that Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
would be performing at Mosaic Stadium on August 9 as part of the Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour
Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour
The Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour, sometimes referred to as the A to Z Tour or Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Tour, was a concert tour headlined by American hard rock bands Aerosmith and ZZ Top...
. This concert, however, was cancelled due to the injuries that Steve Tyler sustained after falling off the stage in Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,627 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Meade County. Sturgis is famous for being the location of one of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world, which is held annually on the first full week...
.
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
performed at the stadium on July 28, 2010.
Upgrades
On July 31, 2008, it was announced that Mosaic Stadium was getting temporary extra seats due to string of sell-outs, (every home game in the 2008 season sold out). With tickets in high demand coming off their Grey Cup season, an extra 2,145 seats were added, bringing the capacity to 30,945. The seating was first put to use during the Labour Day Classic vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Following the 2008 West Semi-Final game on November 8, 2008 vs BC LionsBC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
, the temporary seats were taken down, putting the capacity back to the original number of 28,800. However, 2,145 temporary extra seats will be in place for the entire 2009 season
2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season
The 2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 52nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders attempted to win their 4th Grey Cup championship but lost to the Alouettes in the Grey Cup final....
. Temporary seating will again be in place for the 2010 season
2010 Saskatchewan Roughriders season
The 2010 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 53rd season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders attempted to win their 4th Grey Cup championship, but they lost to the Montreal Alouettes...
; however, the additional seating will only raise capacity to 30,048.