Highlights from the BC Lions season preview conference call that took place today:

• Team is 10% ahead of last year in season tickets sales thanks in part to excitement over 99th Grey Cup
• Dennis Skulsky says renovated BC Place will be one of the best facilities in North America.
• Wally Buono says that defensively, the Lions will go with a three-man front much of the upcoming season.
• Buono confirms that the Lions are has signed QB Matt Johnson from Bethune-Cookman University.
• Buono says the club may sign a 6th QB before camp…likely Cal’s Kevin Riley, who impressed at the recent Portland free-agent camp.
• The club will announce their new defensive line coach on June 1st.
• Buono on the improvement of the offensive line: ‘We have the best left tackle in the league (Archibald) & that should help us a lot’.
• Buono on QB Matt Johnson: ‘A lot like a young Damon Allen bc of athleticism…Danny Barrett speaks highly of him’.
• Buono not worried about replacing Davis /Arceneaux; cites Moore, Harris, Black, Gore, Iannuzzi as guys who can step up.
• Buono: ‘Elimimian reminds me of Alondra Johnson’.
• Buono confident that 2011 bc offensive line will be a lot stronger and the team will get more consistent play at quarterback.
• Buono says the team is still investigating non-import WR Kamau Peterson’s medical situation. “If we weren’t thorough in that situation we wouldn’t be doing our job”.

In addition to the signing of Matt Johnson, the Lions also announced the signings of running back / kicj return candidates Michael Smith (Arkansas) and Tim Brown (Temple).

Thanks to Mark Masters of the National Post for his live tweets that made this blog possible, as well as the TEAM 1040.

Mark Masters on Twitter.

Team 1040 on Twitter.