In 2002, the Canadian Football League expanded to 9 teams as the Ottawa Renegades played their first regular season game on June 28 at Frank Clair Stadium. The Ottawa Renegades were placed in the Eastern Division and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were returned to the Western Division. On the field, it was a tight race in the Western Division as Edmonton (13-5-0) would squeek by Winnipeg (12-6-0) by one game to take the Division title. Meanwhile, Montreal (13-5-0) would have little trouble in the Eastern Division, and would take the Division title by a whopping five games over second place Toronto (8-10-0). In the first round of the playoffs, Toronto would take care of the Saskatchewan Roughriders 24-14, while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would crush the BC Lions 30-3. In the Division Finals, it was Montreal rolling over Toronto 35-18, while Edmonton would defeat a very tough Winnipeg 33-30, to set up the match-ups for the 90th Greay Cup Championship. The game was played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 24 at Commonwealth Stadium, in Edmonton, Alberta. The Alouettes defeated the Eskimos 25-16 in the first all-Canadian CFL championship game to feature the host team since 1983. Montreal had not been home to a Grey Cup champion since 1977, including nine years when it didnt have a CFL team at all.  But Anthony Calvillo and the rest of his teammates brought prestige back to the franchise by defeating the hometown Eskimos. Leading 1-0 after 15 minutes, the Alouettes gained 99 yards on one play for the longest touchdown reception in Grey Cup competition. Calvillo connected with Pat Woodcock on the historic play. Terry Baker kicked a 42-yard field goal with 1:15 remaining in the second quarter to give the Alouettes an 11-0 lead at halftime. Wanting to avoid becoming the first team to lose a Grey Cup game in their own building since 1983, the Eskimos rallied in the third quarter. On their opening drive Edmonton finally got on the scoreboard as Ricky Ray threw a pass to Ricky Walters for a 17-yard touchdown. Sean Fleming kicked a 12-yard field goal later in the quarter to pull the Eskimos within one. But early in the fourth quarter, the Alouettes struck again. This time Calvillo hit Jeremaine Copeland on a 47-yard passing play for a touchdown, giving Montreal an 18-10 advantage. With less than six minutes remaining in regulation and the Eskimos offense facing a third-and-10 on the Montreal 36, head coach Tom Higgins opted to go for it rather than attempt a 43-yard field goal. The gamble failed. The Eskimos would make things uncomfortable for the Alouettes in the final minute. Ray connected with Ed Hervey on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining in regulation. Needing a two-point convert to tie the score, Tim Strickland broke up
a pass intended for Terry Vaughn. Edmonton tried one last-ditch effort with an onside kick attempt, but Copeland grabbed the football and ran 47 yards for his second touchdown, sealing the win for Montreal. Calvillo was named the games Most Valuable Player completing just 11 of 31 pass attempts for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with the Most Valuable Canadian going to Wide Receiver Pat Woodcock.