The Varsity Blues football team, staff, and U of T students will finally have a homecoming event to drive school spirit when the team takes on the Guelph Gryphons on September 14. Unlike other universities in the OUA, U of T has not had a traditional homecoming for several years.

Previously, the university would not allow the term “homecoming” to be used in the promotion of the first home football game of the school year due to potential negative associations with the term. At other Ontario universities, alcohol consumption and violence have plagued homecoming games, and U of T has attempted to prevent similar scenes by eliminating the title “homecoming” for several years.

After much work from UTSU organizers, and college and faculty leaders, the game on the 14th will be have the festivities traditionally involved in homecoming. The organizers of the event consisted of most major student groups at U of T including UTSU, Woodsworth College Students’ Association, New College Student Council, Physical Health and Education Undergraduate Association, St. Michaels College Student Union, Scarborough Campus Students’ Union, University College Literary and Athletics Society, Innis College Students Society, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union, and the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council.

“The staff of Varsity Athletics and [the] Office of Student Life have been very supportive of the programming created and have provided the student societies with various resources to help bring excitement to the promotion of the home opener and the game day activities,” said homecoming organizers in an email.

The day will begin with a pep rally in the UC quad, with hundreds of U of T students expected to be in attendance. The 10:00 am pep rally will include a free BBQ with various activities being hosted, they including face and body painting, poster making, button making, free giveaways, and cheer training with the support of U of T’s spirit squad. The pep rally’s attendees will proceed up the Philosopher’s Walk to the stadium before the game. With the game set to start at 1:00 pm, Blues fans will flood Varsity Stadium to cheer on their football team in hope of a win against the Gryphons.

“We believe that our collective membership can be proud of our athletes that represent us abroad,” organizers said. “Though we represent divisions that make up the University of Toronto, we can unite and support our stellar athletes under one banner. We are one, we are united and we are proud of our strong history.”

The Blues football team currently has a 1–2 record this season. Last year against Guelph, the Blues fell to the Gryphons in a close 31–29 loss. This year’s team is being lead by the season’s first athlete of the week, Harrison Beeforth, and this past week’s athlete of the week, Paul de Pass, and are hoping to provide a win for the home crowd.

“As the first home game of the Varsity Blues football team of the [academic] year [in progress], we felt this would be great opportunity to showcase the very energy we instill during Orientation week for the over 10,000 incoming students,” said homecoming organizers.