Description:
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field is a sports stadium located in Regina, Saskatchewan which is used primarily to play Canadian football. Taylor Field is the home field of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who play in the Canadian Football League. Additionally, it is also 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.
Taylor Field itself embodies the rugged nature of the Saskatchewan. 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 the heart of a tough neighbourhood known as North Central Regina. 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. In 1946 the facility was renamed Taylor Field after Roughriders player/coach and World War I hero Niel "Piffles" Taylor. It is owned and managed by the city of Regina. The field currently has artificial turf and a seating capacity of 30,945. 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."
Taylor Field was the site of the 83rd 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
Currently, there are plans to renovate the stadium costing about C$13 million which could include new permanent seating at the endzones and the already built Jumbotron. The city hopes these renovations will help them host the 2012 Grey Cup, which will be the 100th anniversary of the first championship game. As it currently stands, Mosaic Stadium is one of the most antiquated stadiums in the CFL.
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 last in the CFL to use the artificial surface AstroTurf. FieldTurf was installed prior to the 2007 season.