REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders reaped the financial rewards of winning the 2013 Grey Cup game.

The CFL team will announce total gross revenues of $68.8 million for the fiscal year of 2013-14 at its annual general meeting on June 10 at the Queensbury Centre.

Playing host to the 101st Grey Cup game on Nov. 24, when the Riders beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 45-23, added $25 million to the team's gross revenues of $43.8 million.

Revenues from the Grey Cup game aren't included in the team's total operating revenues because the Riders play host to the game so rarely. The Grey Cup game generated $9.3 million in profits. Combined with the $1.1 million in profit the Riders generated before the Grey Cup game, the club posted a record profit of $10.4 million for the fiscal year.

A glance at the team's finances was available Wednesday as part of a mail out to the Riders' shareholders and notification of the AGM. The notification of the annual general meeting arrived on the same day that the CFL and CFL Players' Association were meeting in Toronto regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.

A source with the Riders said the timing of the mailout and the bargaining meeting was a coincidence because the team has to notify its shareholders within 15 days of the AGM. The AGM has been moved from the middle of June to June 10 this year, so the notice needed to be sent out earlier than normal under the club's bylaws.

Here are some other highlights from the annual report:

* The Riders generated a team-record $15.4 million in gate receipts for the 2013 season and led the CFL in attendance for the first time in franchise history. The expansion of Mosaic Stadium from 33,427 seats to 44,190 for the Grey Cup game helped boost attendance. In 2012, the Riders had $13.1 million in gate receipts.

* Merchandise sales reached a team-record $13 million when combined with the Grey Cup. The club sold $1.9 million in Grey Cup-related merchandise over the fiscal year. Sales of the team's merchandise and Grey Cup championship merchandise was a club-record $11.1 million, surpassing the previous mark of $10.3 million in the team's centennial year in 2010.

* The team's expenses rose due to playing host to the Grey Cup game and the increased financial investment in merchandise to meet sales demand. Operating costs increased to $9.8 million in 2013. The expenses associated with football operations rose to $12.1 million compared to $10.2 million in 2012. Football operations expenses included player costs, championship bonuses and camps in Bradenton, Fla., and Saskatoon. The expansion also contributed to a 35-per-cent increase in operating costs at Mosaic Stadium. The Riders had total expenses of $42 million compared to $32 million in 2012.

* The latest fiscal report marks the seventh consecutive year that the Riders have recorded profits in excess of $1 million. In 2011-12, the Riders earned $4.1 million in profits after recording gross revenues of $34.4 million. In 2010-11, the Riders generated a record $6.6 million in profits after posting gross revenues of $33 million.

* Gate receipts also increased over that time. In 2012, the Riders had $13.1 million in gate receipts and $11.7 million in 2011.

* The financial news comes on the heels of last week's announcement of the design for the new stadium. Construction of the 33,000-seat facility is to begin in the spring. The Riders are scheduled to play their first game in the $278-million building in 2017.

* The Riders are to contribute $40 million to the project under the terms of the agreement with the City of Regina and the province of Saskatchewan. A total of $15 million from the Riders' contributions is to be directed toward facilities such as locker rooms, team and training facilities and meeting and equipment rooms. A total of $6 million from the current fiscal year will be directed to the club's stadium fund.

mmccormick@leaderpost.com