| Toronto Varsity Blues | |
|---|---|
 Toronto Varsity Blues logo | |
| First season | 1877 |
| Athletic director | Beth Ali |
| Head coach | Darrell Adams 2nd year, 2–14 (.125) |
| Other staff | Tommy Kanichis (OC) Bob Mullen (DC) |
| Home stadium | Varsity Stadium |
| Year built | 2007 |
| Stadium capacity | 5000 |
| Stadium surface | Polytan Ligaturf |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
| League | U Sports |
| Conference | OUA (1980-present) |
| Past associations | ORFU (1883-1897) CIRFU (1898-1970) OUAA (1971-1973) OQIFC (1974-1979) |
| All-time record | 549–488–36 (.528) |
| Postseason record | 20–27 (.426) |
| Titles | |
| Dominion Championships | 2 1895,1905 |
| Grey Cups | 4 1909,1910,1911,1920 |
| Vanier Cups | 2 1965,1993 |
| Churchill Bowls | 1 1993 |
| Atlantic Bowls | 2 1962, 1974 |
| Yates Cups | 25 1898, 1899, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1926, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1967, 1974, 1983, 1993 |
| Hec Crighton winners | 4 Mike Eben,Mike Raham,Dan Feraday,Eugene Buccigrossi |
| Colours | UofT Blue and White |
| Mascot | True Blue |
| Outfitter | Under Armour |
| Rivals | York Lions |
| Website | varsityblues.ca |
TheToronto Varsity Blues football team represents theUniversity of Toronto in the sport ofCanadian football inU Sports. Dating back to 1877, theToronto Varsity Blues football program initially competed for theCanadian Dominion Football Championship and won six national titles, including the firstGrey Cup game ever held in1909, as well as winning in1895,1905,1910,1911, and1920.[1] After intercollegiate teams no longer competed for the Dominion Championship, the team won the firstVanier Cup ever held in1965, and then again in1993 as Canadian national football champions.
The team has 25Yates Cup championship wins as champions of theOntario University Athletics conference of theU Sports, a total second only to theWestern Mustangs.
One former Toronto Varsity Blues team member participated in theNFL draft; Dan Feraday (Cincinnati Bengals,1982).[2]
The first documented game of football at the University of Toronto was on November 9, 1861.[3][4] This game was noted to be a combination ofAssociation football andrugby, which the rules required the player bounce or kick the ball towards the opposing team's goal.[5] The game was played onQueen's Park, which eventually became the site of theOntario Legislative Building.
The first official team was established in 1877 by J.H. Mayne Campbell, whererugby football rules were adopted.[6] The team officially played their first game against another school in 1879,[7] when they faced theUniversity of Michigan.[8]This game ended in a draw, with no teams scoring points after two 45 minute innings.
The team faced their first game against another Canadian university in 1881 againstMcGill University,[9] losing twotries to nothing.
In 1883, the University of Toronto football team entered theOntario Rugby Football Union (ORFU). They remained in the ORFU league until 1898, where they then joined the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union (CIRFU).[9] During this year the team won the firstYates Cup.
TheCanadian Dominion Football Championship was first established in 1884, and as the University of Toronto was a member of the ORFU, it qualified to play in these championship games. The team won championship games in1895 and1905.[10][11]
In 1909, theGrey Cup was established and the University of Toronto football team won theinaugural game.[12] The team went on the win additionally in1910,1911 and1920.
In recent years the team has had a string of losses, not qualifying for the playoffs in 20 out of the 22 current seasons.
On October 13, 2007, they set the record for the longest losing streak in Canadian university history, at 49 losses in a row. This losing streak was snapped on September 1, 2008 when they defeated theWaterloo Warriors 18-17 for their first win in almost seven years.[13] The team last posted a winning record in 1995.[14]
The team was led by head coach Greg DeLaval who won his first game with the Blues when the team ended their record-setting losing streak in2008. In2010, the Blues posted a remarkable 40-35 win over the second-rankedOttawa Gee-Gees, which was their first win over a nationally ranked opponent since 1997 against theWaterloo Warriors.[15] The Blues finished with a 3-5 record in 2010, which was their best since the 1996 season when they posted the same mark. The Blues hiredGreg Gary as head coach in2011, and finished with another 3-5 record, once again finishing just out of the playoffs in seventh place. The team took a step back with a 2-6 record in2012, including home losses to fellow 2-6 teamsYork andOttawa. However, in 2013, they finished the season 4-4, the first time since 1993, but failed to make the playoffs.[16] The team again regressed in 2014 with a 2-6 record, but rebounded in 2015 with a slightly improved 3-5 record. The program again failed to gain any momentum and won only two games the following season and then only one game in 2017 along with a last place finish. Gary resigned as head coach following the season's end andGreg Marshall was hired as his replacement.[17][18] Marshall finished with a winless record in his first year, but the team showed progress in his second season where they finished with a 2-6 record.
The Varsity Blues qualified for the playoffs in2021 for the first time since 1995 and hosted a playoff game for the first time since 1992.[19] In 2022, the Varsity Blues finished in seventh place with a 4-4 record and again qualified for the playoffs as the OUA expanded the number of playoff teams. After a disappointing 2–6 finish to the2023 season, it was announced on November 23, 2023, that Marshall would not return as the team's head coach.[20]Darrell Adams was hired as the team's head coach on January 5, 2024.[21]
The following is the record of the Toronto Varsity Blues football team since 2000:
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Pct % | PF | PA | Standing | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 40 | 348 | 8th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2001 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0.125 | 92 | 276 | 10th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2002 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 63 | 364 | 10th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2003 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 42 | 438 | 10th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2004 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 82 | 450 | 9th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 126 | 433 | 9th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2006 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 125 | 418 | 10th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2007 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 111 | 345 | 10th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2008 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 168 | 272 | 8th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2009 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0.125 | 98 | 279 | 9th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2010 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0.375 | 140 | 236 | 7th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2011 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0.375 | 110 | 189 | 7th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2012 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 136 | 279 | 9th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2013 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 230 | 231 | 7th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2014 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 265 | 321 | 9th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2015 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0.375 | 159 | 224 | 7th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2016 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 155 | 288 | 8th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2017 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0.125 | 108 | 308 | 11th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 122 | 315 | 11th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2019 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 222 | 249 | 9th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due toCOVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||
| 2021 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 | 112 | 129 | 2nd in OUA East | Lost toOttawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final 17–27 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 185 | 219 | 7th in OUA | Lost toQueen's Gaels in quarter-final 13–41 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 171 | 250 | 9th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0.125 | 91 | 331 | 10th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0.125 | 170 | 277 | 11th in OUA | Did not qualify | |
| Year | Game | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Vanier Cup | Alberta | W 14-7 |
| 1974 | Atlantic Bowl | Saint Mary's | W 45-1 L 15-19 |
| 1983 | Churchill Bowl | Queen's | L 7-22 |
| 1993 | Churchill Bowl | Concordia | W 26-16 W 37-34 |
Toronto is 2-1 in national semi-final games and 2-1 in the Vanier Cup.
| Name | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred Williams | 1898–1900 | |
| Hugh Hoyles | 1901–1902 | |
| A. F. "Biddy" Barr | 1903–1906 | |
| Harry Griffith | 1907–1910 | |
| Arthur B. Wright | 1911–1913 | |
| Hugh Gall | 1914 | |
| William C. Foulds | 1919 | |
| Laddie Cassels | 1920 | |
| John Maynard | 1921–1922 | |
| Warren Coryell | 1923 | |
| Jack Newton | 1924 | |
| A. F. "Biddy" Barr | 1925 | |
| Ronnie Macpherson | 1926–1927 | |
| Les Blackwell | 1928 | |
| Ronnie Macpherson | 1929 | |
| Les Blackwell | 1930 | |
| Harry Hobbs | 1931 | |
| Warren Stevens | 1932–1939 | |
| Warren Stevens | 1945 | |
| Bobby Coulter | 1946–1947 | |
| Bob Masterson | 1948–1955 | |
| Dalt White | 1956–1965 | |
| Ron Murphy | 1966–82 | CIAU Coach of the Year (1974) |
| Doug Mitchell | 1983–1987 | |
| Bob Laycoe | 1988–2001 | |
| Bob Rainford/Giulio Giordani | 2002 | |
| Steve Howlett | 2003–07 | |
| Greg DeLaval | 2008–10 | |
| Greg Gary | 2011–17 | |
| Greg Marshall | 2018–2023 | |
| Darrell Adams | 2024–present |
As of the end of the2025 CFL season, two former Varsity Blues players were on CFL teams' rosters:[23]
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