Is BMO Field still a possibility for the Argonauts? And could they become profitable there?

Argonauts' owner David Braley's comments published Tuesday about new offers for the team are interesting, but what's perhaps even more important than ownership is a stadium solution. The team's Rogers Centre lease ends in 2017, and what Braley told Toronto Star reporter Curtis Rush on that front is quite notable. Braley said he's focused on trying to get the team a lease at BMO Field (owned by the city, but run by MLSE for its soccer team). Moveover, he said that lease may come before he sells the team, and it may not require MLSE owning the Argonauts:

The BMO Field plan still has its problems. The money isn't there thanks to provincial and federal governments not coming through with the expected extra $20 million needed to accommodate the CFL in the renovations. Another potential problem is the idea of maintaining natural grass there, which doesn't seem suitable for a shared CFL/MLS stadium; any move away from natural grass will anger soccer supporters, players and executives, though. However, at this stage, BMO Field looks like the best option by far for the Argonauts if they're able to persuade the soccer people to let them in and find the money, and it's good to see that Braley is focused on that. If he can get them in there, too, he told Rush that alone would likely be enough to make the team profitable, which would obviously increase the interest in buying them:

While the methods Braley has used during ownership of the Argos have come under plenty of fire, there's no dispute that the team is not in good financial shape at the moment. There is an debate if that's about issues in the Toronto market, issues with Braley or issues with his previous marketing team (where he places much of the blame), but there's also no question that the cavernous Rogers Centre is not a good football venue, and that Rogers' scheduling priorities (which usually can be described as Blue Jays, other events, then the Argonauts, leading to some games on odd nights of the week) don't help at all.

If BMO Field can be renovated to work for the Argos and if they can get a lease there, the game-day atmosphere would become much better and tickets would be both easier to sell and worth more. Under those circumstances, the team might be well on the way to profitability, particularly considering the extra TV revenue they're already getting this year and the low portion of that which is going to the players. That could make them much more attractive to potential buyers. It's promising that there appear to be several potential ownership groups out there now, but a stadium solution may need to come before any sale. With a good stadium deal, the Argos will instantly become a much more attractive property.