The passion that radiates through Jay McNeil’s voice when he talks about the Calgary Stampeders is contagious.
You can feel it. It’s tangible.
He’s not just the president of the club, but someone who’s entrenched in the team’s culture and stands tall, figuratively and literally at 6-foot-4, as one of the biggest and most vocal advocates of the team and the CFL.
He bleeds red and white.
McNeil spent 14 seasons playing for the organization, collecting a bevy of all-star distinctions along the way, along with twice being named the President’s Ring honouree, as voted by teammates, for excellence on and off the field.
His greatest accomplishments donning the iconic white horse, though, came when the offensive lineman hoisted the Grey Cup in 1998 and 2001.
This year, Calgary will host the Canadian championship game November 15 at McMahon Stadium, and there’s nothing McNeil would like more than to win the prestigious trophy on home turf.
In chatting, he points out 2026 is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese Calendar. The last Year of the Horse was 2014, the Stampeders etched their names on the Grey Cup that campaign.
“Last year, we felt we had a very good team, and, arguably, were a few plays away from going to a Grey Cup and that’s despite being decimated by injuries,” says McNeil, who was appointed the team’s president in 2024, after returning to the club as vice-president of business operations in 2023 following a successful business career in Calgary. “Everybody’s healthy now, that’s number one.
“We started building a culture last year, with an overhaul of our team and our coaching staff, and they did an unbelievable job of gelling early. But now we’ve got another year under our belts, and I know whether it’s the coaching staff or the players, they all felt there’s unfinished business from last year.”
The team is poised for big things after a transitional season in 2025, one that featured a renewed focus on the team on the field, the business operations off it, and the fan experience.
“When you look at the way we ended 2024, last place, you know, from a business perspective, we weren’t moving the needle and we had to do things differently,” he explains. “So, 2025 was going to be a year of change, and it really was.
“We changed our team, our coaching staff. We changed a bunch of stuff, from a culture perspective in our locker-room and then we changed the way we sold tickets, the way we marketed our team, and the way we engaged with our community, and we took some giant steps forward.
“Last year, our slogan was Bigger and Bolder. That’s still applicable. We took some great steps forward, but we’ve got to be even bigger and even bolder than we were last year. Grey Cup certainly provides a tremendous opportunity for the organization. I mean, we’ve got a team that will compete for it. And then from a business perspective, it’s really a crescendo as we go through the season and then finish off with the Grey Cup at the end of the year.”
One of the things McNeil is most proud of is how the Stampeders are woven into the fabric of the community. The history of the team in Calgary is a long and vibrant one.
“My message to people, whenever I get an opportunity to talk to them, is the impact we have in the community; our community stats from 2025, we were bigger or bolder. We participated in 70 per cent more player appearances, 440 player appearances in total.
“Community is at the heart of the Stampeders. This is our 81st year. We’ve been bringing Calgarians together for over eight decades, and as the city’s demographic changes, we want to connect with every community within Calgary and make McMahon a home for all Calgarians.”
Stamps TV Punjabi is just one way they’ve worked at this goal, with Taranjot Vining hosting videos aimed and making new ties and strengthening existing ones in the South Asian community.
The club will also hold their annual Indigenous Night on September 19 when they celebrate the nations of Treaty 7 in Southern Alberta.
The relationship between the team and the Calgary and Southern Alberta business community is also a strong one, with the team offering partnerships that provide invaluable benefits across the board.
“I think the number one thing, this goes back to the community piece… when you’re investing in the Stampeders, you’re investing in the community because of what we do in the community,” says McNeil. “So that gives us the opportunity to continue to have a huge impact in the community, and so there’s great synergies for companies who are community focused.
“I think, from an affordability perspective, it’s just as important. There’s significant reach with the CFL – people underestimate what that is. So, there’s a real ROI.
“We are also really flexible and help deliver on, from a business perspective, what is it you’re looking to accomplish: how do we help you reach your goals and be very flexible, build something together? And that’s pretty cool, right? Because a lot of places, they tell you this is what you get: $50,000 – this is what you get; for $100,000, this is what you get. We say ‘Hey, what are your goals? What is your budget? Well, let’s build this together.”
McMahon Stadium has been billed as Calgary’s Largest Patio, a place for folks to gather in the sunshine – when the Calgary weather plays ball, so to speak – and enjoy what is affectionately called Our Game.
The Stampeders created a new standing room area, the Coors Light Corral, billed as the ‘latest and greatest’ experience for those coming to the game. It’s located at the northwest corner of the stadium and has a unique vibe designed for young adults.
The team will host its three marquee games this season when they welcome the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 20, the second-annual Stampede Bowl against the Toronto Argonauts on July 2, and the Labour Day Classic against the provincial rival Edmonton Elks on September 7.
The inaugural Stampede Bowl has a huge hit, featuring halftime musical guest Bret Michaels. The Stamps will be announcing another big performer for this contest.
As part of the focus on the fan experience, the team is offering a handful of multi-game packs this season, including a Family Pack with afternoon/early kickoff games, a Summer Fun Pack with four July and August tilts, including the Stampede Bowl, and a three-game Community Pack with community-focused games.
The goal, as mentioned above, is to end this season with a Grey Cup ring. The Stampeders have assembled a top tier off-field team to execute the herculean task of putting on the Grey Cup and all the pomp and pageantry that accompanies it.
There is a great deal of pride for McNeil and the organization when it comes to the privilege of stewarding a national treasure.
“From a business perspective, it’s an opportunity to have an impact on the league as we try to elevate the brand of the CFL,” says McNeil. “It’s an opportunity for Calgary to come together and host the country, and then there’s an opportunity to have long-term impact on the game of football. And, so, it’s not just an opportunity, it’s a responsibility, and the one that we’re taking quite seriously.
“We want to build upon what everybody has done before us and host the best Grey Cup in history. It’s Canada’s largest single day sporting event – it’s massive.”