EDMONTON — As Edmonton’s CFL team struggles to get fans through the gates of Commonwealth Stadium, Elks President and former player, Chris Morris, claims the organization is battling to regain fans who abandoned the team when the club rebranded away from "Edmonton Eskimos.” Morris told the Canadian Press that the rebranding was "disastrous in so many ways." Established in 1949, the team spent 71 seasons as the Edmonton Eskimos and won 14 Grey Cups, but opted to ditch their historic name in 2020 amid public pressure from individuals who felt the term was “racist" or "derogatory” towards Inuit people. The organization’s decision was part of a larger cultural shift in sports that saw Washington, D.C.'s NFL team rebrand from "Redskins" to eventually become the "Commanders." .Despite the season's marquee game, a Labour Day rematch with the Calgary Stampeders in Week 14, attracting 28,365 fans to Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton experienced its lowest average attendance in 55 years in 2025, dropping to 19,050 per game, down 7.1% from 2024. Winning football games tends to drive fans to stadiums, and back-to-back 7-11 seasons in 2024 and 2025, combined with a 4-14 record in 2023, did little to attract supporters. However, Morris said the rebranding 'disaster' has compounded the attendance dip. "The people who had been local fans and the people who had grown to care and love and have a lot of respect for that tradition were obviously very offended," Morris said to CP. Edmonton has taken steps in recent years to reconnect with its heritage, including bringing back the "Once An Eskimo Always An Eskimo" sign in its locker room and embracing nicknames like the "Double E" or "Green and Gold," both of which are homages to its legacy logo and colour scheme. .Some fans think the above-mentioned changes are sufficient, but others will not be happy until the organization kills the Elks rebrand and becomes the Eskimos once again. Pockets of NFL fans, and even U.S. President Donald Trump, have pushed for Washington to go back to the Redskins brand, and some speculate that a potential return may be on the horizon, but Morris told CP that a complete reversal in Edmonton is "not viable." With that said, he told CP that he believes the organization is building momentum towards regaining those who abandoned the team when the team abandoned the Eskimos. Edmonton won its home opener 32-29 over the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday in front of a reported 14,664 fans, though the game was played amid a near-monsoon. The Elks will return to Commonwealth Stadium on July 9 for a tilt with the Ottawa Redblacks at 7 p.m.
