CFL football fans watch the Edmonton Elks battles the BC Lions at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on Friday, July 17, 2026. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia

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For the first time in a long time, the Edmonton Elks are a premier football team.

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There was a time when the Elks were the signature franchise of the CFL, but past seasons have seen a dramatic drop-off in prestige, performance, and attendance. It’s been roughly seven years since Edmonton’s historic CFL franchise last made the playoffs, and 11 years since they won their division and the Grey Cup in 2015.

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During that Grey Cup run, attendance approached 30,000 fans a game. Just last year, the Elks set their lowest average attendance number at 19,050.

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Alumni Trent Brown believes that all the team and the league needs is consistent winning.

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“I think if they keep winning, I honestly think the fans are going to come back. I think they’ve done a great job with the game day experience, the tailgate, a number of different things, but the No. 1  thing is winning,” Brown said.

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Now at a league best record of 6-1, former defensive lineman Eddie Steele says that this weekend’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders will continue what he sees as a rise in fan interest and attendance. “When you start to win, people will come back,” he said.

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The numbers are starting to agree. According to the Elks play-by-play caller Morley Scott, this Sunday’s game against Saskatchewan is approaching the 30,000 range for the first time in a long time.

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So how have the Elks managed to keep on winning? Steele said that on-field success coincides with proper leadership stepping up after years of mismanagement.

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“There was just so many decisions that were poorly made over the past five or six years, and that really alienated the fan base. Now the team is starting to perform on the field, we’re seeing that the fans are starting to come out.”

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Head coach Mark Kilam was asked about the numbers leading up to Saturday, and he emphasized that it means everything to the team. Now, they plan to focus on their part.

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“I’m focused on holding up our end of the bargain down here,” he said. “We want to play the style of football fans can be excited about.”

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That mentality has created the CFL’s best defence, with a superstar running back in Justin Rankin leading the offence. For the first time in years, the Elks have a chance to win the CFL’s West Division, and are a Grey Cup threat.

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“We were talking earlier in the season, let’s just hope that they can make the playoffs or get a home playoff win,” Steele said. “You’re sitting at 6-1 and the best team in the CFL right now. They are well on their way to getting that division home playoff game.”

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