Elks wrap pre-season at Clarke Stadium with expanded crowd
Edmonton pushed capacity to 10,000-plus for Friday's final tune-up before the June 6 regular season opener against Ottawa.
The Edmonton Elks wrapped their pre-season Friday at Clarke Stadium with a 21-18 loss to Calgary, but the real story was what happened in the stands: nearly 10,000 fans showed up despite wet weather and an hour-long delay.
Commonwealth Stadium is undergoing a turf overhaul, so the Elks moved home games next door to Clarke. The original capacity of 5,100 got expanded to 10,000-plus with added bleachers — a far cry from the years when the Elks struggled to fill any stadium.
"So much for the cruel joke of years past," the Journal noted, referencing a running narrative about declining attendance. Fans brought game-day energy despite the conditions, signalling real interest as the team heads into a season it desperately needs to turn around.
Cody Fajardo went 9-for-11 for 96 yards in limited work, throwing to T.J. Luther, who caught all four passes thrown his way for 48 yards. Cole Snyder accounted for both Edmonton touchdowns on short-yardage runs.
The Elks have started the past four seasons poorly — 1-4 in 2022, 0-9 in 2023, 0-7 in 2024, and 1-6 in 2025. There's no margin for error this time. The regular season kicks off Saturday, June 6 at 5 p.m. against the Ottawa Redblacks on TSN.