Mark your calendars: Roughriders release 2021 schedule

On Monday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders found out they would be playing in 2021.

On Tuesday, the CFL team found out when it would be playing in 2021.

The CFL, which announced Monday it would have a season after cancelling the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19, released its schedule for the 2021 season Tuesday.

The Roughriders’ slate of 14 regular-season games is to begin Aug. 6, when the B.C. Lions visit Mosaic Stadium. Saskatchewan’s final regular-season contest is set for Nov. 20 in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats.

The Green and White is to start with four straight home games and will play five of its first six games at Mosaic Stadium. The league gave teams in Western Canada more home games to start the season due to differing pandemic plans in some areas of the country.

The Roughriders will face the Calgary Stampeders three straight times (with a bye in between two of the contests) and will have home-and-home series with both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Elks.

Saskatchewan is to face B.C. and Hamilton twice as well, but is to play the Ottawa Redblacks, Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes just once. The Roughriders don’t travel to either Ottawa or Toronto during the regular season.

The Roughriders are to play four games on Fridays, nine games on Saturdays and one — the Labour Day Classic against Winnipeg — on a Sunday.

“This year’s schedule is a bit unconventional, but we think it’s a win for Roughrider fans,” Saskatchewan chief brand officer Anthony Partipilo said in a media release.

“We all know there is nothing better than cheering on our Green and White on a Saskatchewan summer day and this schedule gives us a large portion of our home games when the weather is warmest, as well as lots of matchups with divisional rivals.”

Here’s a look at the Roughriders’ schedule. Teams are not playing pre-season games in 2021.

• Friday, Aug. 6: B.C. at Saskatchewan, 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 14: Hamilton at Saskatchewan, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 21: Ottawa at Saskatchewan, 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 5: Winnipeg at Saskatchewan, 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 11: Saskatchewan at Winnipeg, 2 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 17: Toronto at Saskatchewan, 7:45 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 24: Saskatchewan at B.C., 8:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 2: Saskatchewan at Calgary, 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 9: Calgary at Saskatchewan, 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 23: Saskatchewan at Calgary, 7:45 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 30: Saskatchewan at Montreal, 5 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 5: Edmonton at Saskatchewan, 7:45 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 13: Saskatchewan at Edmonton, 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 20: Saskatchewan at Hamilton, 3 p.m.

The league’s division semifinals are set for Nov. 28, with the division finals slated for Dec. 5. The Grey Cup game is to be played Dec. 12 at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field.

Fans can buy season tickets by contacting the Roughriders’ ticket office no later than July 30. The team added that plans for the sale of single-game tickets will be announced later and will be based on public health guidelines.