Post by: King Siu, Communications Coordinator, PMAC

How did Jim Hopson, CEO, turn the Saskatchewan Roughriders from an uncompetitive and financially burdened team into a perennial Grey Cup favourite and one of the most profitable teams in the CFL? It appears he listened to his own common sense.

In this video, Jim illustrates just what dire straits the team was in by recounting a joke that prevailed, prior to his arrival, about what would happen if you put two Saskatchewan Roughriders tickets on someone’s windshield:

The previous administration was so concerned about filling seats that it resorted to giving away free tickets to get bodies into the stadium. Under Jim’s leadership, the organization stopped the practice. He realized that by giving away tickets the organization removed any perceived value that was attached to Roughrider games.  This strategy worked and is evidenced by the fact that they used to struggle to fill a stadium of 18,000, and today Jim informs us that there are less then 18,000 tickets available for all of next season!

As well as partnerships with businesses to increase exposure of the team and to create new sources of revenue – such as allowing personalized Roughrider license plates for your car – Jim realized that the best way to boost their fortunes was to put a quality product on the field.

More focus was placed on players. Athletic and health facilities were upgraded to provide superior training and development opportunities for the team. This change yielded quick and lasting results: in his five years at the helm, the Roughriders have never missed the playoffs and have appeared in the Grey Cup twice, resulting in one Grey Cup win. 

These and Jim’s other common sense strategies have made the Roughriders a success and show that strategies don’t have to be complicated to succeed; sometimes solutions are the most obvious choices to be made.

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