Sask. Roughriders return to profitability after shortened season

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are celebrating a return to profitability after two years struggling with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like all CFL teams, the Riders are working to bounce back after COVID-19 triggered the cancellation of the 2020 season and the shortening of the 2021 schedule.

At Tuesday's annual general meeting, the team announced a $3.9-million net profit for the 2021-22 year. That's a big improvement over an $8.4-million loss the year before, but still leaves the team $4.5 million in the hole over the last two years. Some financial cushion is available to the team, thanks to a $7-million stabilization fund.

Team president Craig Reynolds said the team owes a debt of gratitude to fans for playing a major part in the recovery .

"Our fans were the number 1 reason," he told reporters. "They kept their money with us, the season ticket money, they rolled that over to [the] next year and we had very few requests for refunds, which would have challenged that number."

Stalwart ticket holders were not enough to bring the team's finances in line, however. Reynolds admitted there were significant staffing changes, some of which have been reported previously.

"We did a number of expense management measures, both in terms of sheer numbers of people, unfortunately, in our organization, but also salaries just to manage ourselves through that. And I think we did a pretty good job of that."

He said staffing levels have been kept down by employing more temporary workers during the football season.

The team also received COVID-related support from federal government programs

The team still faces challenges to profitability. Some ongoing issues include a nine per cent drop in ticket sales this season compared to