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Toronto Varsity Blues football

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Toronto Varsity Blues
Toronto Varsity Blues logo
First season1877
Athletic directorBeth Ali
Head coachDarrell Adams
1st year, 1–7  (.125)
Other staffTommy Kanichis (OC)
Bob Mullen (DC)
Home stadiumVarsity Stadium
Year built2007
Stadium capacity5000
Stadium surfacePolytan Ligaturf
LocationToronto, Ontario
LeagueU Sports
ConferenceOUA (1980-present)
Past associationsORFU (1883-1897)
CIRFU (1898-1970)
OUAA (1971-1973)
OQIFC (1974-1979)
All-time record548–481–36 (.531)
Postseason record20–27 (.426)
Titles
Dominion Championships2
1895, 1905
Grey Cups4
1909, 1910, 1911, 1920
Vanier Cups2
1965, 1993
Churchill Bowls1
1993
Atlantic Bowls2
1962, 1974
Yates Cups25
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 winners4
Mike Eben, Mike Raham, Dan Feraday, Eugene Buccigrossi
ColoursBlue and White
   
MascotTrue Blue
OutfitterUnder Armour
RivalsYork Lions
Websitevarsityblues.ca

The Toronto Varsity Blues football team represents the University of Toronto in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. Dating back to 1877, the Toronto Varsity Blues football program initially competed for the Canadian Dominion Football Championship and won six national titles, including the first Grey Cup game ever held in 1909, as well as winning in 1895, 1905, 1910, 1911, and 1920.[1] After intercollegiate teams no longer competed for the Dominion Championship, the team won the first Vanier Cup ever held in 1965, and then again in 1993 as Canadian national football champions.

The team has 25 Yates Cup championship wins as champions of the Ontario University Athletics conference of the U Sports, a total second only to the Western Mustangs.

One former Toronto Varsity Blues team member participated in the NFL Draft; Dan Feraday (Cincinnati Bengals, 1982).[2]

History

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Early history

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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 of Association football and rugby, which the rules required the player bounce or kick the ball towards the opposing team's goal.[5] The game was played on Queen's Park, which eventually became the site of the Ontario Legislative Building.

The first official team was established in 1877 by J.H. Mayne Campbell, where rugby football rules were adopted.[6] The team officially played their first game against another school in 1879,[7] when they faced the University 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 against McGill University,[9] losing two tries to nothing.

In 1883, the University of Toronto football team entered the Ontario 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 first Yates Cup.

Dominion Championships and Grey Cups

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The Canadian 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 in 1895 and 1905.[10][11]

In 1909, the Grey Cup was established and the University of Toronto football team won the inaugural game.[12] The team went on the win additionally in 1910, 1911 and 1920.

Recent history

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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 the Waterloo 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 in 2008. In 2010, the Blues posted a remarkable 40-35 win over the second-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees, which was their first win over a nationally ranked opponent since 1997 against the Waterloo 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 hired Greg Gary as head coach in 2011, 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 in 2012, including home losses to fellow 2-6 teams York and Ottawa. 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 and Greg 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 in 2021 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 the 2023 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]

Season-by-season record

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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 to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 6 3 3 0.500 112 129 2nd in OUA East Lost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final 17–27
2022 8 4 4 0.500 185 219 7th in OUA Lost to Queen'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

[1][22]

National Postseason Results

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Vanier Cup Era (1965-current)
Year Game Opponent Result
1965 Vanier Cup Alberta W 14-7
1974 Atlantic Bowl

Vanier Cup

Saint Mary's

Western

W 45-1

L 15-19

1983 Churchill Bowl Queen's L 7-22
1993 Churchill Bowl

Vanier Cup

Concordia

Calgary

W 26-16

W 37-34

Toronto is 2-1 in national semi-final games and 2-1 in the Vanier Cup.

Head coaches

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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

National award winners

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Varsity Blues in the CFL

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As of the end of the 2024 CFL season, two former Varsity Blues players were on CFL teams' rosters:[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Toronto Varsity Blues All-Time Game Results" (PDF). Toronto Varsity Blues. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "Toronto Drafted Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  3. ^ says, University of Toronto Magazine (2018-09-25). "America's Game Might Have Kicked Off at U of T". University of Toronto Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  4. ^ "CFL.ca - Official Site of the Canadian Football League". 2010-05-01. Archived from the original on 2010-05-01. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  5. ^ "From Rugby to Football: The History of Canadian Football". www.communitystories.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  6. ^ "From Rugby to Football: The History of Canadian Football". www.communitystories.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  7. ^ "From Rugby to Football: The History of Canadian Football". www.communitystories.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  8. ^ "Sayings and Doings". Detroit Free Press. November 1, 1879. p. 1.
  9. ^ a b "From Rugby to Football: The History of Canadian Football". www.communitystories.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  10. ^ Sproule, Robert (2001). "THE QUEBEC RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION 1883-1906 – Part 3" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. 23 (4). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-22.
  11. ^ "Best Rough Riders". The Montreal Gazette. November 27, 1905. p. 2.
  12. ^ "Grey Cup 2008 - Montreal - Grey Cup 1909". 2008-12-07. Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  13. ^ Doolittle, Robyn (September 1, 2008). "U of T Blues end 7-year, 49-game losing streak". The Star. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  14. ^ "U of T football sets new university futility streak". cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 13, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  15. ^ "U of T Bids Farewell to Football Coach Delaval". Toronto Varsity Blues. March 12, 2011.
  16. ^ "De Pass sets record, Blues top Warriors". Toronto Varsity Blues. October 19, 2013.
  17. ^ "Gary steps down as Varsity Blues football head coach". Toronto Varsity Blues. November 16, 2017.
  18. ^ "Marshall to lead football team in 2018". Toronto Varsity Blues. December 27, 2017.
  19. ^ "Blues host Gee-Gees in OUA Quarter-final Saturday". Toronto Varsity Blues. November 1, 2021.
  20. ^ "U of T begins search for new head coach". Toronto Varsity Blues. November 23, 2023.
  21. ^ "Adams named Varsity Blues head coach". Toronto Varsity Blues. January 5, 2024.
  22. ^ "U Sports football standings". U Sports. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  23. ^ "CFL players". Canadian Football League. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
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