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The Saskatchewan Roughriders had the bye, but local businesses have been steadily preparing since news of a home playoff game.

With Sunday’s CFL Western Division Final now slated as a prairie rival showdown against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the hype is building.

Just blocks away from Mosaic Stadium, workers at Pile O’ Bones Brewing were busy Tuesday, ensuring stocks are plentiful.

“Heavy staffing, heavy brewing,” said Kate Byblow, taproom manager. “We want people to come in this room and have lots of options.”

The Regina brewery opened its Rider-friendly storefront in August. Byblow said every home game draws line-ups and fans enthusiastically chirp each other.

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“It is funny to see like the blue jerseys, the green jerseys, in the same room, just sort of like taunting each other. But in the end, they’re cheering and sharing a meal together,” Byblow said.

Tickets, hotel rooms available

While Saskatchewan fans had two weeks’ notice, Winnipeg fans had to wait through the Western Semi-Final to confirm travel plans.

But as of Tuesday, finding a seat and accommodation wasn’t an issue.

Ticketmaster showed plenty of seats, in combination with re-sales, still available for Sunday.

The Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association also confirmed Tuesday that hotels were at 50 per cent occupancy for the weekend.

Building the hype

While the in-game experience of the Western Final will mostly be led by the CFL, the Riders’ game-day team will still be hard at work.

Russell Kovshoff is the director of game entertainment and events for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Sunday’s game marks the end of his first full season on the job, after being involved with Toronto Raptors’ game day and entertainment for more than 10 years.

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“It’s been an amazing year,” Kovshoff said. “Being 8-1 at home, best record here at home in 31 years — to be a part of that process and entertaining by far the most passionate CFL fanbase, maybe even the most passionate fanbase in all of Canada for sports, is honestly an honour.”

It takes grit.

It requires passion.

It demands honour. This is what it takes to be a Roughrider.#BEL13VE pic.twitter.com/KCAabwoPMP — #BEL13VE (@sskroughriders) November 5, 2019

Kovshoff oversees all live game-day promotions, along with in-game video content shown on the MaxTron.

“Outside the helmet, I wanted to showcase their personalities,” Kovshoff said. “We got them in a room, doing fun stuff and engaging with us.”

Fun aside, the final home game of the year has a lot riding on the line. Not only can Saskatchewan punch a ticket to the Grey Cup, but the team is also reuniting against its former starting quarterback, Zach Collaros.

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“Cody Fajardo comes in, plays so well, he makes Collaros’ expendable. Gets traded away. Now, he comes back and you can’t ask for a better script than that,” said Warren Woods, 980 CJME radio host.

But, as of Tuesday, the Riders were still unsure whether current starting Fajardo will be healthy enough to play.

“He’s been battling a painful oblique injury, how effective is he going to be?” Woods said. “If he’s not going to be healthy, and close to 100 per cent, the Riders are going to have some difficulty.”

The Riders, without starter Collaros due to injury, faced the Blue Bombers in the 2018 Western Semi-Final at Mosaic Stadium. Winnipeg won 23-18, but failed to make a Grey Cup appearance.

Kickoff for Sunday’s Western Final is 3:30 p.m. local time at Mosaic Stadium.