The University of Toronto is leading the renewal of high performance facilities in Ontario through the construction of Varsity Centre on its St. George campus. The Centre is part of a major revitalization of athletic facilities designed to enhance opportunities for sport and physical activity for students and members of the community.

It represents a new vision at U of T focused on creating a rich experience for all students that extends far beyond the classroom. From competitive athletes to students aiming to learn a new sport or simply go for a jog on a fabulous outdoor track, Varsity Centre creates an environment that welcomes and encourages all levels of physical activity—from playground to podium.

The Varsity project is unfolding in three distinct phases. The first phase, now complete, included the construction of a new $21.7 million 5,000-seat Varsity Stadium, featuring a state-of-the-art artificial turf playing field, an internationally-certified track, and an air-supported dome, enabling year-round use of the facility. The second phase is the $9.5 million now completed Varsity Pavilion. The Pavilion will be the marquee entrance to the stadium, dome and existing Varsity Arena. It will also house change rooms, emergency care facilities, a strength fitness facility and staff offices.

The final phase, for which the university is currently pursuing capital support, will create the $58 million Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, a multi-storey complex for research and teaching labs, a strength and conditioning centre, a state-of-the-art sport medicine clinic and the 2,000-seat Kimel Family Field House for basketball and volleyball.

Once completed, Varsity Centre will become Canada’s first fully integrated summer sports institute. It will offer world-class facilities for soccer, track and field, basketball and volleyball, cross-training facilities, sport science laboratories, and a leading-edge sports medicine clinic linked to the country’s strongest health sciences network — ten major hospitals fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. The Centre will serve the broader community by generating new knowledge, preparing the next generation of athletes, coaches, teachers and sports scientists, engaging in community outreach, and providing GTA schools and groups with access to facilities and programs.

Varsity Centre is pushing the Varsity Blues sports programs to the next level - providing some of the country’s best facilities for high performance training and competition in sports like track and field, football and soccer. The Centre is also strengthening community outreach by offering a range of programs open to the community as well as a place for local fans to enjoy tremendous university-level competitive sport.

Varsity Centre gives a big boost to sport, recreation and academic programs at U of T, creating unmatched opportunities for students, high performance athletes, and community members to compete, train, learn and play. It’s a whole new ball game!