The 2026 CFL season will end with a renewal of one of Canada's great championship rivalries - the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Elks. For a record 12th time, these two storied franchises will battle for the Grey Cup.
Montreal and Edmonton owned the league's best regular-season records, but they took remarkably different paths to the Grand National Drunk. The Alouettes are here for the third time since 2023 and want to avenge last year's gut-punch loss. Edmonton, meanwhile, snapped a six-year playoff drought and won the West for the first time in 11 years with a remarkable worst-to-first turnaround. This has all the makings of an epic bout.
Here's everything you need to know about the 113th Grey Cup.
113th Grey Cup: The basics
Who: Montreal Alouettes (21st appearance) vs. Edmonton Elks (24th)
When: Sunday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta
Weather: Low of 4 degrees Celsius; 9 km/h winds with 15 km/h gusts. Daytime high of 12 before kickoff.
How to watch
| Canada | United States | Other |
|---|---|---|
| TSN/CTV/Crave; RDS (French) | DAZN/CFL+ | DAZN/CFL+ |
Betting
Moneyline: Alouettes -165 / Elks +140
Spread: Alouettes (-3)
Over/Under: 55.5 points
Storylines to follow
Alexander the Great
Davis Alexander's long-awaited breakout season was one for the ages. This year's Most Outstanding Player passed for 5,257 yards and a league-best 35 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions on 527 attempts. His 122.7 QB rating also ranks as the third-highest in CFL history. He's the best player in this game.
However, Alexander is just one part of Montreal's explosive offense. Most Outstanding Canadian Tyson Philpot hauled in a single-season Canadian record 1,809 receiving yards, while 5-foot-7 spark plug Tyler Snead finished as the league's only other pass-catcher to cross 1,400 yards. Philpot and Snead also each caught a league-high 13 TDs - five more than the next-closest wideout. Although the Alouettes haven't completely abandoned the run game, their pass-heavy approach is tough to beat.
Still, that doesn't mean Alexander won't have his hands full against Edmonton. The Elks' defense allowed the fewest points and second-fewest passing yards during the regular season, and the unit flexed its muscle by thoroughly shutting down Nathan Rourke and his dynamic group of receivers in the West final. Now it's offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo's turn to game plan for this red-hot defense in what will amount to a road game for Montreal.
That won't be easy, but who else would you rather have challenge Edmonton than Alexander? He's a dynamic superstar QB who changes the game and makes big plays happen. One way or another, this Grey Cup contest will run through his hands.
Old friends seek revenge
Cody Fajardo wasn't supposed to be here. He nearly retired after a rough 2022 season but instead joined the Alouettes and led them to an improbable Grey Cup win. Two years later, with Alexander ready to start, Montreal dealt Fajardo to Edmonton, and he turned that moribund franchise around with a career-best 2026 and a Grey Cup berth. Sunday may be the 34-year-old's final game, and what better way to go out than riding off with a ring against his former team?
Fajardo isn't the only prominent ex-Alouette on the Elks' roster. Wideout Austin Mack broke out as an All-Star on that '23 Als team, then signed a big four-year deal following a brief NFL detour. After two injury-plagued seasons, Montreal released Mack, who quickly reunited with Fajardo in Edmonton and returned to form. Playing Montreal will no doubt give both some extra fuel Sunday - especially after Snead stoked the flames by guaranteeing an Alouettes win.
Though Edmonton isn't a pass-heavy team, Mack and Fajardo's connection will be critical in this matchup. Mack was the team's only offensive player with more than 700 receiving yards and 63 receptions, meaning Fajardo is likely looking for him whenever he throws. Containing Mack and forcing Fajardo to target his secondary receivers would be a big win for Montreal's defense, and the Als' familiarity with the Elks' QB and wideout could help with game-planning.
Pound the ground
The key to victory for both teams could be the running game, though in very different ways. Edmonton led the league in total rushing yards and will be happy to hand the ball to Justin Rankin. The 1,000-yard rusher is always a threat to break out, as shown by his CFL-best 11 runs of 20-plus yards this year. Rankin also torched Montreal for a season-high 179 yards and two TDs in Week 3. Meanwhile, Fajardo's 517 rushing yards topped all quarterbacks.
Rankin was a nonfactor in the Elks' West final win, possibly a strategic move by Edmonton to counter the BC Lions' strong run defense. Expect that to change this weekend. The path to offensive success for the Elks lies in establishing the run game, giving Rankin more touches against a Montreal defense that let Brady Oliveira accrue 105 yards last week, and dominating time of possession - something Edmonton does better than anyone.
Conversely, the Als rely on big plays and a heavy passing attack, supported by a stellar O-line that allowed just 19 sacks and can give Alexander the room he needs. Slowing Montreal's offense is a tall order, but Edmonton has the tools to do it. The team's best route is to neutralize the receivers through coverage and force the Alouettes to hand the ball off to Stevie Scott III. Scott isn't a liability by any stretch, but the Elks will be thrilled if he's getting more touches. That would let an Edmonton defense that led the league in forced turnovers and tackles for loss do what it does best: get Fajardo back on the field quickly.
Farewell to the 55
Sunday will be bittersweet for many CFL fans, as it marks the final professional Canadian football game played on the traditional 150-yard field. Next year, the league will ditch the 55-yard line and move to 100 yards with 15-yard end zones and goal posts at the rear (Canadian university and junior football aren't changing). The field width will remain the same, as will other uniquely Canadian quirks like three downs and the waggle.
The changes, which began with a modification to the rouge this year, continue to divide fans and have been a talking point during Grey Cup week. Debate will only grow louder as 2027 gets closer - but we're not there yet. Come Sunday, no matter where you stand, put your views aside for three hours and enjoy the great game that is Canadian football. Fans of all nine teams can at least agree on that much.
Prediction
Montreal and Edmonton are giving us a real treat. It's the two best teams, two great quarterbacks, and two lockdown defenses going toe-to-toe for 60 minutes. If the history of this rivalry is any indication, this will be an instant classic - and it'll end with Alexander cementing himself as the CFL's best player by beating his mentor. Alouettes 44, Elks 37
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