BC Lions

Native to BC, the mountain lion has a strong connection to team's brand, as it is renowned for speed, courage and strength, and carefully respected as a remarkable, but dangerous predator.

Kwakwaka’wakw/Tlingit artist Corrine Hunt created a rendition the team's logo in an Indigenous design to call attention to the families and survivors as a part of the Every Child Matters movement in the UK.

It was disappointing considering the addition of rookie talents Steve Cotter, Lonnie Dennis, Jim Carphin, and Neal Beaumont to a strong core of veteran and young players from the previous season.

After achieving an 11–2–3 regular-season record in 1964, and defeating the Calgary Stampeders in a three-game series in the Western Conference finals, the Lions advanced to meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Grey Cup rematch at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium.

Any hopes of the BC Lions becoming a dynasty quickly disappeared in 1965, as the team fell to fourth in the west with a 6–9–1 record, missing the playoffs one year after being on top of the CFL world.

Don Moorhead was recruited at quarterback, and a total of fifty-three different players put on a Lions uniform in a year of change, including movie and TV personality Carl Weathers at linebacker.

To head off a crisis, the directors, led by past-president Jack Farley, developed a plan to sell stock and seek a strong partnership with a major corporate sponsor to keep operations viable while waiting for the construction of a new stadium in downtown Vancouver.

Paopao and second-year quarterback Roy Dewalt had wide-out Ty Grey as their deep-threat receiver, while rookie defensive back Larry Crawford led the CFL in interceptions.

Defending their championship in 1986 proved even harder than winning it the year before, as the Lions battled the Eskimos, Blue Bombers, injuries, and the CFL's newly extended 18-game regular season.

The Lions instantly responded to new coach Larry Donovan, winning the final four games including a thrilling come-from-behind 33–32 victory over Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium that many observers called the CFL's greatest comeback ever.

Toronto managed to tie the game but in overtime, but an electrifying kickoff return for a touchdown by Raymond Ethridge and terrific play by the Lions' special teams spelled the difference.

Although quarterback Doug Flutie signed as a free agent with the Stampeders in the post-season, the acquisition of his replacement from Calgary, Danny Barrett, prior to training camp, brought hope of good things to come in 1992.

To add insult to injury, off-season and off-field problems emerged to swing focus from football to ownership, as Lions' owner Murray Pezim declared bankruptcy, and the CFL was forced to take over the team.

A group of young, unknown, and aggressive linebackers emerged at training camp, Henry Newby, Tyrone Chatman, and Virgil Robertson, while the secondary was strengthened with the additions of Charles Gordon and Enis Jackson.

Seemingly stalled at the Baltimore 30 yard line, Lui Passaglia and Darren Flutie staged a fake field goal to gain a big first down, which changed the momentum of the game.

Individually, Lions' running back Cory Philpot broke the CFL record for touchdowns in a season with 22, and won the Eddie James Memorial Trophy for the second year in a row as the Northern Division's leading rusher.

On March 11, 1996, Lions' owner Bill Comrie announced that the club had been sold to a group of 10 local businessmen headed by Nelson Skalbania (who once owned the Montreal Alouettes) and Michael Jensen.

The Lions appeared to be driving toward a chance to kick a game-winning field goal in the last minute before Damon Allen fumbled the ball at mid-field, allowing the Stamps to kill off the remaining time.

A snarly defence started to show its grit, and the Lions roared confidently into Edmonton and emerged with a 34–32 Western semi-final victory, thanks to a Passaglia field goal on the final play.

The Leos' Cinderella season came to a close on November 26, 2000, in the Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, as the Lions won their fourth championship in team history with a nail-biting 28–26 victory over the Montreal Alouettes.

The Lions' triumph marked the first time a team with a sub-.500 regular season record won the Grey Cup, and it signalled a marvellous end to Lui Passaglia's outstanding, 25-year CFL career.

The Lions nearly swept the annual player awards, with Brent Johnson, Geroy Simon, Rob Murphy, Mark Washington, and Aaron Hunt (BC's sixth Outstanding Rookie in nine years) all taking home hardware.

Veteran linebacker Carl Kidd announced his retirement at the Grey Cup ring ceremony held just prior to training camp, while Bobby Singh was cut and soon picked up by the Calgary Stampeders.

However, with Saskatchewan leading by 4, the Lions never gave up in the dying minutes of the game, and QB Jarious Jackson was able to find Geroy Simon in the endzone and pass the ball for a game-winning 33 yard touchdown.

Despite this, the club signed a number of proven CFL players, including Davis Sanchez and Keron Williams from the Montreal Alouettes, Jamal Robertson from the Toronto Argonauts and exiled former Bomber Derick Armstrong.

After losing to Toronto and the previously winless Eskimos, Lulay was replaced by Jarious Jackson in the fourth quarter in the August 7, 2010, contest against Calgary after demonstrating poor play and inexperience.

Despite a questionable lineup, the Lions, as well as many fans and critics alike, believed that the team was good enough to win the Grey Cup, especially since the game was scheduled to be played in Vancouver at the newly renovated BC Place Stadium.

The Lions signed two notable CFL players; defensive back Tad Kornegay, who had just been released by Saskatchewan, and wide receiver Arland Bruce, who was acquired in a trade with Hamilton.

Although Winnipeg won both regular-season meetings with BC, the Lions went on to beat the Bombers 34–23 in front of a home crowd to win their 6th Grey Cup championship in franchise history.

2024 marked the BC Lions 70th season and saw the club host several large events, including a sellout home opener featuring a pregame performance by global rap icon 50 Cent.

Team wordmark 2005-2015
Indigenous logo created by Corinne Hunt in 2021 to bring attention to the Every Child Matters movement.
BC Place Stadium, 2003
Lui Passaglia and Damon Allen with the Grey Cup in January 2001
Dave Dickenson calls out a play at the line of scrimmage in a game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Place in 2005
The 2006 West Division final at BC Place
The Lions played their 2010 home games at Empire Field , here against the Roughriders
The Lions on offense at the 99th Grey Cup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers .