CALL it odious or endearing, the grass field at University Stadium is a place no one wanted to play Saturday's Canada West Conference football title game between the Manitoba Bisons and Regina Rams.

Now, no one will have to play there. Representatives of the CFL and Canadian Interuniversity Sport have worked together to bring the conference final, also known as the Hardy Cup game, to the artificial turf at Canad Inns Stadium. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

"It's a football game and we were going to play it, either on the grass or on the turf," said Bisons head coach Brian Dobie. "We're grateful to everyone involved in making this happen because, in terms of both the Bisons and the Rams being in position to play the best football they can play, that would be on the best available surface and that is at Canad Inns Stadium."

Due to preparations for the CFL's East Division semifinal Sunday between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes, the Bisons were told earlier that the stadium was not available and were forced to make plans to play the game at U of M.

Rams head coach Frank McCrystal said he wanted to play in Canad Inns Stadium in the first place and called the U of M facility "a very bad place."

"From the very first time we went there we would be kicking aside dead pigeons when we walked in and there was pigeon droppings all over the hallway underneath (the stands) where you walk in to go to the visitors' dressing room," said McCrystal, whose Rams joined the CIS in 1999. "The
field runs off the grass into a different kind of surface (athletic track) about two or three yards into each end zone. It doesn't drain properly, the geese land on it. Whether it's a playoff game or not, I don't think any game should be played there."

Dobie said the Bisons have played their playoff games at Canad Inns Stadium since 2001. The last time the Bisons won the Hardy Trophy in 2001, they beat Regina Rams 23-17 at Canad Inns.

"For our athletes and our fans, I think it is a better venue and a more professionalized arena to compete in and we like that. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, it's a better place to be," said U of M athletic director Coleen Dufresne. "It shows a willingness from a CFL perspective to work with CIS."

Peter Metuzals, the CIS director of marketing, worked directly with representatives from the CFL, CBC television (televising the Bombers-Alouettes game), The Score (televising the Bisons-Rams game) and the Blue Bombers to get the Bisons game moved.

"We all had to give, and we agreed (to do it) in the interest of football throughout the country," said Metuzals in a telephone interview from Ottawa. "We'd heard the field at the University of Manitoba was not in optimal shape and we're putting the game on national television so
for our product to look good, it helps that we're on a field such as Canad Inns Stadium."

Dobie said he heard suggestions from a number of sources that the Bisons wanted to play the Canada West final on grass to gain an edge.

"That bothers me because we fought as hard as we could for the option of Canad Inns Stadium in the first playoff game (against Calgary) and for in the second (against Regina)," said Dobie, whose team beat Calgary Dinos 27-5 in the Canada West semifinal Nov. 3.

Ticket winners

The answer to our two-part trivia question is: The last time the University of Manitoba football team played in the Canada West championship final was 2006 when they lost to Saskatchewan Huskies. The last time the Bisons won the Hardy Trophy was in 2001 when the beat the Regina Rams.

Winners of tickets to Saturday's game are Jeff Roos and Dan Berard.

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