CFL game in Moncton a sellout

Maritimers are hungry for some Canadian Football League action.

In just 32 hours, the public snapped up all 13,000 available tickets for the Sept. 26 regular-season game between the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos.

A capacity crowd of more than 20,000 will be on hand at the new Stade Moncton Stadium on the campus of the University of Moncton.

"Apart from a small number of tickets that have been held for minor football associations and bus trips from out of town, the game has sold out," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a statement.

"We really want our game to have a positive impact on kids who play the game for fun across the region," Cohon added, noting football organizations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island would be in attendance.

The weekend will also include high school and university games, along with a street festival and tailgate party.

"On behalf of the CFL board of governors, our fans across Canada and the Argos and Eskimos, I want to thank our fans in Moncton and across Atlantic Canada for this tremendous show of support," Cohon said.

New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham projected last October the CFL game would exceed the $1.5 million that the federal and provincial governments have invested in the event.

"We have the potential to see up to $4 million in economic revenue being generated here in the city of Moncton," Graham said.

The federal government's $800,000 share will help raise awareness of the region's capacity to host major national and international sporting events. The $700,000 invested by the New Brunswick government will help cover marketing and other infrastructure costs.