Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player, while Hamilton's Andy Fantuz received the Dick Suderman Trophy as most outstanding Canadian.

In 2008, the CFL awarded an expansion team to Ottawa and named the city host of the 2014 Grey Cup, conditional on the franchise being ready to play by 2010.

[2] Lawsuits and construction delays during the renovation of Frank Clair Stadium pushed the start date for the city's expansion team, the Ottawa RedBlacks, to 2014.

[8] The team was led by 24-year-old quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who stood 15–2 in his career as a starter and who won his first playoff game in the victory over Edmonton.

[10] Hamilton advanced to their second consecutive Grey Cup final with a 40–24 victory that featured two punt returns for touchdowns by Brandon Banks.

[19] Hamilton scored a field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to ten points, then regained possession after Delvin Breaux intercepted Mitchell for the only turnover of the game.

Brandon Banks received the punt and ran the ball 90 yards for an apparent touchdown to give Hamilton a lead; however, the play was called back when Taylor Reed was penalized for an illegal block.

It was the third time an American band has been brought in to perform, a decision that some Canadians have criticized due to a preference for using the stage to promote local talent.

[21] Canadian country and rock artist Dallas Smith performed during the pre-game festivities and Nikki Yanofsky (accompanied by 102 members of the Coastal Sound Music Academy) sang O Canada.

Vancouver having hosted the event just three years prior was cited as the main cause for the slump, while the mediocre performance by home side BC Lions provided few opportunities to drum up interest over the course of the season.