Toronto Varsity Blues football facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toronto Varsity Blues
Toronto Varsity Blues logo
First season	1877
Athletic director	Beth Ali
Head coach	Darrell Adams 1st year, 1–7  (.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	548–481–36 (.531)
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	Blue and White
Mascot	True Blue
Outfitter	Under Armour
Rivals	York Lions

The Toronto Varsity Blues football team plays for the University of Toronto in Canadian football. They are part of U Sports, which is like the top league for university sports in Canada.

This team has a long history, starting way back in 1877! They've won many big games. They even won the very first Grey Cup in 1909. The Grey Cup is one of the most famous trophies in Canadian sports. They also won it in 1910, 1911, and 1920.

Later, they won the first Vanier Cup in 1965, and again in 1993. The Vanier Cup is the championship for Canadian university football. The Varsity Blues have also won the Yates Cup 25 times, which is a championship for their conference, the Ontario University Athletics. Only one other team has won it more!

One former Varsity Blues player, Dan Feraday, was even drafted into the NFL Draft in 1982 by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Team History

How it All Started

The first time football was played at the University of Toronto was on November 9, 1861. This early game was a mix of soccer and rugby. Players had to bounce or kick the ball towards the other team's goal. They played on Queen's Park, which is now where the Ontario government building stands.

The official team started in 1877 thanks to J.H. Mayne Campbell. They decided to use rugby football rules. Their first game against another school was in 1879, when they played the University of Michigan. That game ended in a tie, with no points scored by either side!

In 1881, they played their first game against another Canadian university, McGill University. They lost that game.

In 1883, the team joined the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU). They played in this league until 1898. Then, they joined the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union (CIRFU). In that same year, they won their first Yates Cup.

Winning National Championships

The Canadian Dominion Football Championship began in 1884. Since the University of Toronto was part of the ORFU, they could play for this championship. They won it in 1895 and again in 1905.

In 1909, the famous Grey Cup was created. The University of Toronto football team won the very first Grey Cup game! They continued their winning streak, taking home the Grey Cup again in 1910, 1911, and 1920.

Recent Seasons

In recent years, the team has faced some tough times. For many seasons, they didn't make it to the playoffs.

On October 13, 2007, they had a very long losing streak of 49 games. This was the longest losing streak in Canadian university history! But they finally broke it on September 1, 2008. They beat the Waterloo Warriors 18-17, which was their first win in almost seven years. The last time they had more wins than losses in a season was back in 1995.

In 2010, the Blues had an exciting 40-35 win against the second-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees. This was their first win against a nationally ranked team since 1997. They finished that season with 3 wins and 5 losses, which was their best record since 1996.

In 2013, they finished with an even record of 4 wins and 4 losses. This was their best record since 1993, but they still didn't make the playoffs. The team made it to the playoffs in 2021 for the first time since 1995! They even hosted a playoff game for the first time since 1992. In 2022, they made the playoffs again.

After the 2023 season, their coach, Greg Marshall, left the team. On January 5, 2024, Darrell Adams became the new head coach.

National Playoff Games

The Varsity Blues have played in some big national championship games.

Overall, Toronto has won 2 out of 3 national semi-final games and 2 out of 3 Vanier Cup games.

Head Coaches

Here are some of the coaches who have led the Varsity Blues football team:

Award-Winning Players

Several Varsity Blues players have won national awards for their amazing skills:

• Hec Crighton Trophy (best player in Canadian university football):
  • Mike Eben (1967)
  • Mike Raham (1968)
  • Dan Feraday (1981)
  • Eugene Buccigrossi (1992)
• J. P. Metras Trophy (best lineman): Chris Morris (1990)
• Presidents' Trophy (best defensive player): Lou Tiro (1993)
• Russ Jackson Award (for football, academics, and community service): David Hamilton (2008)
• Frank Tindall Trophy (Coach of the Year): Ron Murphy (1974)

Varsity Blues in the CFL

As of the end of the 2024 CFL season, two former Varsity Blues players were on teams in the CFL:

• Albert Awachie, playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Nick Hallett, playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers