There have been some major changes for the Edmonton Elks as of late, and could be even more coming in the future.
After being approved by the Elks’ board as well as the CFL, Larry Thompson was officially introduced as the new owner of the organization. By doing so, he becomes the first private owner in Club history. They had been community-owned since being founded in 1949.
Shortly after it was reported that Thompson would be named as the Elks’ new owner, speculation surfaced that they may go back to their original identity as the “Edmonton Eskimos.”
While a potential name swap remains to be seen, Thompson did hint that a new stadium could be on its way.
“We could revamp this facility, or it could be a new facility,” he told reporters.
Regardless of which way it goes, Elks fans will be thrilled to hear that. The team’s current home of Commonwealth Stadium, which opened in 1978, has become far outdated. Revamping it or building a new stadium entirely would help create a buzz around the organization, which they could certainly use.
Thompson will also need to try and improve the Elks as a team. They have been flat-out horrendous this season, as their 2-7 record is dead last in the West Division, and is tied with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for last in the league. This comes after a 2023 season in which their 4-14 record tied the Ottawa Redblacks for last place.
“My promise to our fans is that I’ll do everything in my power to ensure the Club has the resources to be the best in the CFL and provide a product our fans can be proud of,” Thompson said in a press release today.
Those struggles resulted in plenty of change prior to today’s announcement, as head coach and general manager (GM) Chris Jones was relieved of his duties exactly one month ago. Geroy Simon is currently sitting as the Elks’ interim GM, while Jarious Jackson is working as their interim head coach.
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