The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have released their community impact report for 2025, featuring an investment of just over $1.2 million into amateur football.
The team provided flag football kits to every school in Manitoba, providing 6,300 footballs and 22,500 pairs of flags to physical education programs in 900 schools. The club called this a way to build “a sustainable foundation for football’s future in the province.”
The Girls High School Flag Football League, which the Blue Bombers established in 2024, almost doubled in size to 29 teams with more than 420 participants. According to the report, the program is expected to grow beyond 600 athletes in 2026.
“This rapid growth reflects the club’s focus on creating inclusive opportunities and empowering the next generation of female athletes,” wrote the team in a statement.
The club also started three new rural flag football leagues based in nearby cities Morden, Winkler, and Niverville. 46 teams featuring of 370 youth athletes competed at Princess Auto Stadium in June.
The Blue Bombers also donated 675 helmets to tackle football programs and hosted over 200 high school football captains at its leadership conference. The club also launched the Winnipeg Bears, a new team in the U14 division of the Manitoba Minor Football Association that was led by certified amateur football coaches and featured 40 players.
Brandon Alexander, who was hired as the team’s community ambassador after playing seven seasons at defensive back, spent over 250 hours at non-profit events and amateur and high school football programs in 2025.
In total, the team reported it delivered more than 30 free programs, engaged over 4,800 athletes, and made a total investment of over $1.2 million.
“In 2025, we didn’t just grow the game, we helped shape its future,” said team president and CEO Wade Miller. “From expanding opportunities for young athletes to delivering resources to every school in Manitoba, our focus remains on removing barriers and creating access. This progress would not be possible without the incredible support of our fans, partners, coaches, and volunteers across the province.”
Winnipeg has yet to release its financial report from 2025, though the team is expected to report a strong profit after selling out the entire regular-season for the first time in franchise history and hosting the 112th Grey Cup.
For the full report, click here.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were active in free agency, signing receivers Tommy Nield and Tim White, offensive lineman Jarell Broxton, defensive lineman Jake Ceresna, linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, and defensive back Jonathan Moxey. The team also suffered a few departures, including receiver Keric Wheatfall (Hamilton Tiger-Cats) and defensive lineman James Vaughters (Saskatchewan Roughriders). Jake Thomas, the team’s longest-tenured player, retired to become its defensive line coach.
The Blue Bombers hold the fourth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Winnipeg will play its first preseason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, May 23 and its regular-season game against the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, June 5.
In 2025, Winnipeg finished fourth in the West Division standings with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes.
