UTM Eagles

The UTM Eagles is the name used for various intramural and extramural sports teams at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), organized by the campus Recreation, Athletics and Wellness department. The campus has been an associate member of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA)'s Ontario Collegiate Recreation (OCR) extramurals since 1993, and had a short-lived varsity sports program from 2014–2021.^[3][1]

UTM remains an associate member of the OCR extramural program despite no longer participating in the OCAA, and competes in the University of Toronto Tri-Campus League.

The UTM Eagles represent the Mississauga campus in the University of Toronto Tri-Campus League, a intramural sporting program at the university for athletes to compete at a level below the Varsity Blues. In Tri-Campus sports, teams represent their home campus and face teams from the other University of Toronto campuses. Apart from the Eagles, the Scarborough campus is represented by the UTSC Maroons and the St. George campus by two teams: UTSG Red and UTSG Blue.^[4]

The UTM Eagles have been an associate member of the extramural Ontario Collegiate Recreation (OCR) program since 1993, when the campus was then known as Erindale College (as the Erindale Eagles).^[5][6] U of T Mississauga has hosted OCAA tournaments since the mid-2000s, and competes in OCR extramural games including basketball, soccer, and cricket. In April 2025, the Eagles competed in the OCR's first ever women’s cricket tournament, hosted at Conestoga College.^[7]

U of T Mississauga became the 30th member of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) on April 28, 2014. It joined other Ontario university satellite campuses such as Wilfrid Laurier University Brantford and Lakehead University Orillia in the college league rather than university.^[3] Under the direction of Ken Duncliffe, head of the campus's Department of Recreation, Athletics and Wellness, the Eagles varsity program was created to give UTM students an option to participate in varsity sports at a lower level than the Varsity Blues. The Blues, which participate in Ontario University Athletics (OUA), are based at the main St. George campus and serve as the primary intercollegiate sports program available to students from all three University of Toronto campuses.^[8]

The UTM Eagles varsity program consisted of six teams: women's basketball, men's basketball, women's soccer, men's soccer, badminton, and cross country.^[9][10] Basketball games were held in the Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre (RAWC) and soccer on the South Athletic Field.^[1]

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic the OCAA temporarily ceased operations, and a year later in November 2021, the athletics department announced the unexpected suspension of the Eagles varsity sports program, citing low participation numbers. This decision was met with resistance from students, who created a change.org petition and social media campaign with an account called @bring.back.varsity to reinstate the program.^[1] Despite the push-back, the varsity program remains suspended, with the University of Toronto recommending that students participate in sports through its Tri-Campus league or the Varsity Blues.^[1]

• Official website