Labour Day Classic
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c0/Labour_Day_Classic_Logo_2022.png/200px-Labour_Day_Classic_Logo_2022.png)
The Labour Day Classic (French: Classique de la fête du travail, branded as OK Tire Labour Day Weekend for sponsorship reasons) is a week of the Canadian Football League (CFL) schedule played over the Labour Day weekend (which includes the first Monday in September). Labour Day weekend, roughly 12 or 13 weeks into the CFL season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other "rivalry" weeks of the CFL schedule. Labour Day weekend is also one of typically two weeks (the Thanksgiving Day Classic being the other) in the CFL schedule that the league plays on a Monday. Multinational Balkrishna Industries' OK Tire brand is the presenting sponsor of the event as of 2022.
The usual weekend matchups involves the Montreal Alouettes playing against the Ottawa Redblacks on the Friday before Labour Day, with host duties alternating between the two teams. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers then visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday and on Labour Day itself, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats play at home against the Toronto Argonauts, while the Edmonton Elks visit the Calgary Stampeders.[1][2] The BC Lions have no geographic rival and typically have a bye, having played just twice on Labour Day Weekend (2015 and 2023) since the return to nine teams in 2014. However, the Lions are scheduled to play in 2024 against the Redblacks, in Victoria, British Columbia, which will be their first Labour Day matchup since 2002 and the first neutral site Labour Day Weekend game to be played.[3]
History
[edit]![The Labour Day Classic Logo from 2016. Mark's was the presenting sponsor of the event from 2014 to 2021.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/41/Labour_Day_Classic_Logo_2016.png/150px-Labour_Day_Classic_Logo_2016.png)
The Labour Day Classic began in 1949 and pre-dates the founding of the CFL by nine years.[citation needed] The matchups have remained mostly the same throughout history, except during Montreal and Ottawa's periods of hiatus or due to scheduling conflicts.
During the early 1980s, the Montreal Concordes played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the remaining three teams (Toronto, Ottawa and BC) rotated each year. Ottawa and BC faced each other during the late 1980s and early 1990s while the league had no team in Montreal.
Because Ottawa had no active team from 1997 to 2001 and 2006–2013, the Alouettes usually played the Lions during those seasons, creating a "coast-to-coast" rivalry.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the entire 2020 CFL season was cancelled and therefore no Labour Day weekend games were played for the first time in CFL history.[4]
Hamilton
[edit]Due to scheduling conflicts, the Tiger-Cats temporarily revived its rivalry with the current incarnation of the Alouettes in the Labour Day game for the 2011 season; the change in opponents led Hamilton to dub the game the Labour Day Classique in reference to Montreal's francophone community.[5][6] Therefore, in 2011, this automatically resulted in Toronto and BC facing each other.
In 2013, the Tiger-Cats' did not host a game on Labour Day for only the second time in franchise history (the first being 1995).[7] It was also the first time that they did not host a game on that weekend. Because Ivor Wynne Stadium was demolished to make way for the new Tim Hortons Field, the team played out of Alumni Stadium in Guelph. The University of Guelph Gryphons (along with most Ontario University Athletics teams) were playing that same day, so the Tiger-Cats could not host the game. To make up for it, the Toronto at Hamilton matchup was played in the Thanksgiving Day Classic.
For the 2016 contest, to avoid any further conflicts with OUA games, the CFL moved the Toronto/Hamilton matchup to prime time Labour Day evening.[8] That year, the OUA's McMaster Marauders football team moved its Labour Day matchup with the Toronto Varsity Blues football squad to Tim Hortons Field, creating a doubleheader with a series of concerts in-between games.[9] This was moved back to a 1:00 pm Eastern start in 2019.[10]
Related events
[edit]Although not directly associated with the Labour Day Classic, the week after Labour Day often has a repeat match-up of the Bombers vs Roughriders (see Banjo Bowl), Stampeders vs Elks (see Battle of Alberta), and Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts (a rivalry which began in 1873),[11] with home field advantage now to the team that did not have it during the Labour Day weekend.
As the league has been increasing in popularity in recent years, print ads for the Labour Day Classic try to evoke the tradition of watching Canadian football on the last weekend of summer. Slogans include "Long Live the Rivalries" and "Watch the Team You Love Play the Team You Love to Hate". Some of the teams wear special third jerseys or throwback uniforms if they play at home.
Current matchups
[edit]Edmonton vs Calgary
[edit]Edmonton victories | Stampeders victories |
|
Longest Winning Streak (Edmonton): 7 (1950–1961)
Longest Winning Streak (Stampeders): 8 (2012–2019)
Did not play in the following years: 1954–1958, 1964–1968, 1973, 1981, 2020
Television (since 1985): CTV (1985–1986); CFN (1987, 1990); CBC (1988, 1991–2007); TSN (1989, 2008–2019, 2021–2023)
Labour Day Rematch
[edit]Starting in 1989, Calgary and Edmonton have played a Labour Day home-and-home series. The Labour Day Classic game has been held in Calgary on Labour Day Monday, and the Rematch has been held in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium the following Friday or Saturday. In 1992, the game in Edmonton was held the week before the Labour Day Classic instead of the week after.
Year | Date | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | Score | OT | Attendance | TV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1989 | Friday, September 8 | Edmonton | 38 | Calgary | 27 | 41,327 | CFN | |
1990 | Friday, September 7 | Edmonton | 34 | Calgary | 17 | 57,444** | CFN | |
1991 | Friday, September 6 | Edmonton | 51 | Calgary | 37 | 57,843** | TSN | |
1992 | *Friday, August 28 | Calgary | 45 | Edmonton | 38 | OT | 31,812 | TSN |
1993 | Friday, September 10 | Edmonton | 29 | Calgary | 16 | 54,324** | TSN | |
1994 | Friday, September 9 | Edmonton | 38 | Calgary | 12 | 51,180** | TSN | |
1995 | Friday, September 8 | Calgary | 33 | Edmonton | 17 | 49,434 | TSN | |
1996 | Friday, September 6 | Edmonton | 20 | Calgary | 19 | 40,727** | TSN | |
1997 | Friday, September 5 | Edmonton | 24 | Calgary | 20 | 43,913** | TSN | |
1998 | Friday, September 11 | Calgary | 30 | Edmonton | 23 | 50,856** | TSN | |
1999 | Friday, September 10 | Calgary | 38 | Edmonton | 13 | 52,458** | TSN | |
2000 | Friday, September 8 | Edmonton | 31 | Calgary | 10 | 53,248** | TSN | |
2001 | Friday, September 7 | Calgary | 34 | Edmonton | 33 | 48,279** | TSN | |
2002 | Friday, September 6 | Edmonton | 45 | Calgary | 11 | 61,481** | TSN | |
2003 | Friday, September 5 | Edmonton | 38 | Calgary | 0 | 62,444** | TSN | |
2004 | Friday, September 10 | Edmonton | 44 | Calgary | 12 | 50,366 | TSN | |
2005 | Friday, September 9 | Calgary | 16 | Edmonton | 11 | 42,654 | TSN | |
2006 | Friday, September 8 | Edmonton | 35 | Calgary | 26 | 47,965** | TSN | |
2007 | Friday, September 7 | Calgary | 20 | Edmonton | 17 | 42,329 | TSN | |
2008 | Friday, September 5 | Calgary | 38 | Edmonton | 33 | 46,014 | TSN | |
2009 | Friday, September 11 | Calgary | 35 | Edmonton | 34 | 46,212 | TSN | |
2010 | Friday, September 10 | Calgary | 36 | Edmonton | 20 | 35,349 | TSN | |
2011 | Friday, September 9 | Calgary | 30 | Edmonton | 20 | 45,672 | TSN | |
2012 | Friday, September 7 | Calgary | 20 | Edmonton | 18 | 39,363 | TSN | |
2013 | Friday, September 6 | Calgary | 22 | Edmonton | 12 | 33,654 | TSN | |
2014 | Saturday, September 6 | Calgary | 41 | Edmonton | 34 | 40,852 | TSN | |
2015 | Saturday, September 12 | Edmonton | 27 | Calgary | 16 | 38,906** | TSN | |
2016 | Saturday, September 10 | Calgary | 34 | Edmonton | 28 | OT | 35,278 | TSN |
2017 | Saturday, September 9 | Calgary | 25 | Edmonton | 22 | 34,312 | TSN | |
2018 | Saturday, September 8 | Edmonton | 48 | Calgary | 42 | 38,611** | TSN | |
2019 | Saturday, September 7 | Calgary | 33 | Edmonton | 17 | 40,113** | TSN | |
2020 | Not played due to COVID-19 | |||||||
2021 | Saturday, September 11 | Calgary | 32 | Edmonton | 16 | 33,493** | TSN | |
2022 | Saturday, September 10 | Calgary | 56 | Edmonton | 28 | 26,946 | TSN | |
2023 | Saturday, September 9 | Edmonton | 25 | Calgary | 23 | 32,422 | TSN |
*Game held the week before the Labour Day Classic
**CFL's Top Regular Season Attendance
Winnipeg vs Saskatchewan
[edit]In the week following the Winnipeg vs Saskatchewan Labour Day Classic matchup, the two teams rematch annually in the Banjo Bowl.
Blue Bombers victories | Roughriders victories |
|
Longest winning streak (Roughriders): 11 (2005–2015)
Longest winning streak (Blue Bombers): 4 (1978–1982)
Did not play the following years: 1955–1960, 1964–1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1981, 2020
Television (since 1985): CTV (1985); CBC (1986, 1989, 1993); CFN (1987–1988); TSN (1990–1991, 1994, 1997–2000, 2002–2019, 2021–2023); No TV (1992, 1995–1996, 2001)
Toronto vs Hamilton
[edit]The Toronto—Hamilton Classic is one of the components of the Harold Ballard Trophy, an award given to the winner of the season series between the Tiger-Cats and Argonauts. The trophy is named after Harold Ballard, who owned the Tiger-Cats for much of the 1980s and owned Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for most of that time. A trophy has been awarded to the winner of the series since 1979.[12]
The Toronto—Hamilton contest is officially known as Football Day in Hamilton and has its own presenting sponsor, WeatherTech Canada. Since the opening of Tim Hortons Field, Football Day in Hamilton has consisted of a Tiger-Cats game as well as a concert and either a McMaster Marauders football or a Hamilton Hurricanes (CJFL) matinée.[13]
Argonauts victories | Tiger-Cats victories |
|
Longest Winning Streak (Tiger-Cats): 7 (2014–2021)
Longest Winning Streak (Argonauts): 3 (1994–1997, 2006–2008)
Did not play the following years: 1962, 1965–1966, 1969–1970, 1972–1974, 1976–1977, 1979, 1981–1986, 1990, 1995, 2011, 2013, 2020
Ottawa vs Montreal
[edit]No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1949 | Ottawa | Rough Riders | 22–21 |
2 | 1953 | Ottawa | Rough Riders | 26–6 |
3 | 1954 | Ottawa | Alouettes | 20–11 |
4 | 1955 | Montreal | Alouettes | 34–22 |
5 | 1956 | Montreal | Alouettes | 42–10 |
6 | 1957 | Montreal | Alouettes | 22–21 |
7 | 1958 | Montreal | Alouettes | 11–9 |
8 | 1959 | Ottawa | Alouettes | 22–7 |
9 | 1960 | Ottawa | Rough Riders | 40–16 |
10 | 1960 | Montreal | Alouettes | 39–22 |
11 | 1961 | Ottawa | Rough Riders | 25–24 |
12 | 1963 | Montreal | Rough Riders | 37–15 |
13 | 1967 | Ottawa | Rough Riders | 17–5 |
14 | 1971 | Ottawa | Rough Riders | 40–17 |
15 | 1978 | Montreal | Rough Riders | 23–18 |
16 | 1996 | Ottawa | Rough Riders | 17–6 |
No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2003 | Ottawa | Renegades | 43–38 |
2 | 2004 | Ottawa | Alouettes | 23–16 |
3 | 2005 | Montreal | Alouettes | 41–18 |
No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2014 | Montreal | Alouettes | 20–10 | ||||
2 | 2016 | Montreal | Redblacks | 19–14 | ||||
3 | 2017 | Montreal | Redblacks | 32–4 | ||||
4 | 2018 | Ottawa | Alouettes | 21–11 | ||||
5 | 2021 | Ottawa | Alouettes | 51–29 | ||||
6 | 2022 | Montreal | Redblacks | 38–24 | ||||
Series: Redblacks leads 13–12 | ||||||||
Includes games from all Ottawa franchises |
Longest Winning Streak (Ottawa): 7 (1961–2003)
Longest Winning Streak (Montreal): 6 (1954–1959)
Did not play in following years: 1950–1952, 1962, 1964–1966, 1968–1970, 1972–1977, 1979–1986, 2002, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024
- Notes
- No Montreal team 1987–1995
- No Ottawa team 1997–2001, 2006–2013
Other matchups
[edit]BC vs Montreal
[edit]Lions victories | Alouettes victories |
|
BC vs Ottawa
[edit]Lions victories | Rough Riders victories |
|
Montreal vs Hamilton
[edit]Hamilton has played and hosted the Labour Day Classic against Montreal (aka Labour Day Classique) nine times in CFL history. According to a Hamilton Spectator article, 2011 marked 25 years since Montreal had battled Hamilton in this Classic at home. In previous years, Montreal has played as either the Alouettes or Concordes. The Classique has been a notoriously one-sided rivalry; Hamilton is undefeated in the Labour Day series, and Montreal is winless, with their best result being a tie in the first Classique in 1962.
Alouettes victories | Tiger-Cats victories |
|
References
[edit]- ^ "2021 CFL season schedule". Canadian Football League. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ "2022 CFL season schedule". Canadian Football League. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ "West Coast Vibes: Touchdown Series heads to Victoria in 2024". Canadian Football League. November 29, 2023.
- ^ "CFL not to play shortened season in the fall". Canadian Football League. August 17, 2020.
- ^ Gameday: The Labour Day Classique.
- ^ From a purely football angle, this Labour Day Classique should be a good one Archived September 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
- ^ "Mark Your Calendars: 2013 CFL Schedule announced". March 5, 2013.
- ^ Bucholtz, Andrew. Five takeaways from the CFL's 2016 schedule. 55 Yard Line (Yahoo! Sports). Retrieved February 18, 2016.
- ^ 3Down Staff (May 3, 2016). "Ticats partner with Mac to supersize Labour Day".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "2019 CFL season schedule". Canadian Football League. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ "Canadian Football Timelines (1860–present)". Football Canada. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
- ^ Edwards, Drew (October 12, 2013). "Some fans might remember Harold Ballard . . . but the Ballard Cup!?". TheRecord.com. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
- ^ "TIGER-CATS ANNOUNCE WEATHERTECH FOOTBALL DAY IN HAMILTON TO TAKE PLACE ON LABOUR DAY – Hamilton Tiger-Cats". ticats.ca.
- Canadian Football League
- Canadian Football League rivalries
- Canadian football in Alberta
- Canadian football in Ontario
- Canadian football in Saskatchewan
- Recurring sporting events established in 1949
- September events
- Sport in Calgary
- Canadian football in Hamilton, Ontario
- Sport in Regina, Saskatchewan
- 1949 establishments in Canada