[SteelTown]

TICATS TO HOLD TWO GAMES SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Hamilton, Ontario - On Tuesday, the Tiger-Cats are expected to announce plans to play two games this upcoming season a little further south than Balsam Ave.

The Ticats will be taking the CFL game down the QEW and across the border into Buffalo, New York for one pre-season exhibition game with the Buffalo Bills and one regular season contest against the Montreal Alouettes.

“With the Bills bringing their product on the road to Canada eight times over the next five years, we felt it opened the door for an international exchange of our great games. It’s a unique opportunity for American fans to get a glimpse of good old fashion three-down Canadian Football,” said Ticats Caretaker Bob Young.

In lieu of the annual Black and Gold game during training camp, the Ticats will travel to Ralph Wilson stadium in early June to play a demonstration game against members of the 2008 Buffalo Bills squad during one of their mini camps. It will be the first time the two teams have taken the field against each other in 47 years.

On August 8, 1961 the Tiger-Cats defeated the Buffalo Bills 38-21, in Hamilton. It was the first time ever that a CFL team emerged victorious against a professional team from America, an outcome Ticats team officials feel can be recreated.

“We fully believe we can win this game, but it’s not the final score that truly matters, rather the good spirit between both clubs and both countries,” said Young.

The exhibition contest will feature a mix of NFL and CFL games, with the first half being played following the CFL rulebook and the second half under NFL guidelines.

It will also be the first time a CFL game is played outside of Canada since 1995, during the CFL’s brief U.S. expansion. After winning the Grey Cup in 1995, the Baltimore Stallions moved to Montreal, becoming the Alouettes.

Ticats season ticket holders will receive their tickets to the game, but with a capacity of 80,020, there will be tickets made available as of April 7.

For more information on seat selection, log on to Ticats.ca at 12:00 p.m. today.