Fans cheer before the Montreal Alouettes play the Calgary Stampeders during the CFL's 96th Grey Cup football game at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, November 23, 2008.Reuters
In the unlikely event that the Montreal Alouettes play host to a playoff game, it will not be held at Olympic Stadium, the CFL club announced Tuesday.
The game would be played at the team's 25,000-seat home field, Percival Molson Stadium.
The club has used the domed, roughly 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium for home playoff games since 2002.
The Alouettes (4-8) are third in the East Division, four points behind second-place Hamilton (6-6). They would need to overtake the Tiger-Cats, who they meet twice more this season, to play host to the East semifinal.
Alouettes chief operating officer Mark Weightman said the team opted for its outdoor field because of concerns a snowfall could postpone the match in the Big O. Olympic Stadium cannot be used if it snows due to an unstable roof.
"As the playoff scheduling in the CFL is very tight, postponing a game of this magnitude would severely impact the remainder of the post-season," Weightman said in a statement.
He also said many fans have asked that playoff games be held at Percival Molson.
The East semi-final is to be played Nov. 10 with the East final on Nov. 17.