If Ottawa has a team in the Canadian Football League in 2014, it will host the Grey Cup at season's end.
The league confirmed a report out of Ottawa that the city will host the title game, contingent upon the ability to form a franchise and build a new stadium on the grounds of Lansdowne Park.
A group of four investors, headed up by Ottawa 67's owner Jeff Hunt, was granted a conditional franchise earlier this year and are now in the process of working out details on the new stadium. The south side of Frank Clair Stadium was demolished in July.
"When we got our conditional franchise, we were awarded a Grey Cup," Hunt told the Ottawa Sun. "That was a key element when we were in negotiations with the CFL. We thought having the ability to host a Grey Cup was an important piece of the puzzle."
The Sun reports that Hunt, along with two other partners, John Ruddy and Roger Greenberg are expected to meet with the league's board of governors on Saturday to provide an update on stadium plans. The fourth member of the group, William Shenkman will not be in attendance for this weekend's festivities.
In Friday's State of the League address in Montreal, CFL commissioner Mark Cohon offered a timeline to Ottawa fans regarding the stadium and return of football.
''By mid-January, we hope to have an indication from the city in terms of the direction we'll be going in Ottawa,'' Cohon said about the stadium design. "If that is positive, we're hopeful that 2011 would be a time that we could get a team back in Ottawa.''
And Hunt looks forward to welcoming the country back to Ottawa for the Grey Cup celebration.
"I think it's just a big deal for community pride and for putting a community in the national spotlight, like hosting a Brier or things of that nature," Hunt told the Sun. "It's the pre-eminent annual sporting event in Canada. To me, that's the event to be a part of."
