Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton , Alberta . They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) . The Eskimos are the most successful CFL franchise of the modern era ( 1949 – present ) , having won the league ' s Grey Cup championship thirteen times , including an unmatched five consecutive wins between 1978 and 1982 , and most recently in 2005 . The Eskimos play their home games at Commonwealth Stadium . Ownership . The Edmonton Eskimos Football Club is one of three remaining " community owned " teams in the CFL ( owned by local shareholders ) . This was once the most common type of ownership in the CFL . IN 2006 the " Ottawa Sun " reported that shares cost $ 10 each , but were not open to the general public and required the approval of the 80 existing shareholders . This contrasts with the Saskatchewan Roughriders , one of the other community owned team in the CFL , who have offered shares to the public . The board of directors included Diane Brickner ( president and CEO of Peace Hills Insurance ) , Harold Roozen ( chairman and CEO of CCI Thermal Technologies Inc . ) , Douglas Goss , and Allan Sawin , Terry O ' Flynn , John Moquin and Bruce Bentley . Goss is the chairman , Sawin is the treasurer , and Bentley is secretary . The club ' s president and CEO is Rick LeLacheur . For the 2008 year , the club announced revenue of $ 14 . 868 million , and a profit on the football side of the franchise , but a net loss of $ 504 , 049 because of loss of investments in the stock market due to the economic recession . Franchise history . Edmonton played its first series of organized games with the formation of the Alberta Rugby Football Union in 1895 . In 1897 the name Esquimaux was adopted . In 1910 the club was officially named the Edmonton Eskimos . Since 1978 the Eskimos have played their home games in Commonwealth Stadium . They are one of the most successful teams in Canadian football history , having won the Grey Cup more than any other team except the Toronto Argonauts , and being the run - away leader in attendance for many years . The team holds many impressive records , including five consecutive Grey Cup wins ( 1978 to 1982 ) , and 34 consecutive years in the playoffs ( 1972 to 2005 ) , a record no other North America n professional team ( regardless of sport ) has equalled . Former Eskimos have figured prominently in Alberta political life : past players include two former provincial premiers ( E . Peter Lougheed and Donald Getty ) , a former mayor of Edmonton ( Bill Smith ) , and a lieutenant - governor ( Norman Kwong ) . During the glory years of the late 1970s and early 1980s , the Edmonton Eskimos won five Grey Cup championships in a row . Since Edmonton re - entered the CFL in 1949 , only one team has managed to win " three " in row ( Eskimos 1954 to 1956 ) , let alone " five . " Their achievements were documented in the book , " Decade of Excellence " , with photographs by Bob Peterson . The Eskimos have also enjoyed great attendance in the stands as they lead the league . Origin of the uniform . The current uniform colours , green and gold , were adopted when the Eskimos received uniforms from the University of Alberta Golden Bears football team , which was dormant due to a lack of competition in 1949 . The colours have remained since that time , and the Golden Bears maintain them to this day as well . Overall , the jersey and colours have remained relatively the same over the years with only minor modifications made every so often . In 2003 , the Eskimos introduced white pants to be worn with their away jerseys and have continued to wear them on occasion to this day . In the 2005 CFL season , all CFL teams switched to a Reebok designed template , yet the jerseys for the Eskimos stayed much the same . In that same year , the Eskimos introduced an alternate jersey for the first time in the franchise ' s history . Green pants were also introduced at this time and have been worn with their home and away jerseys since then . Along with the Hamilton Tiger - Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers , they are one of the few teams to alternate the pants and jersey combinations of their uniforms within a season . The alternate gold jersey was last worn in 2007 , as they mainly use their green jerseys . Wall of Honour . The Eskimos have a policy of honouring the players who have best represented the team on the field ; similar to a team retiring a number , the Eskimos keep the number in circulation , although the number is hung on the edge of the concrete separating the upper and lower decks of Commonwealth Stadium . Numbers so honoured : Team song . During each home game fans stand and sing the " Edmonton Eskimos Fight Song " to the tune " Washington and Lee Swing " :