UofT Blue

According to the university's brand guidelines, the colour "represents the University's history, legacy, reputation, and excellence both locally and internationally," and has been used to represent the university since its foundation in 1827 as King's College, modelled after the similar colour used to represent the University of Oxford in England.{{Cite news |last=Fitz-Gerald |first=Sean |date=2021-01-20 |title=Why do the Maple Leafs, Argonauts and other Toronto sports teams wear blue? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2311817/2021/01/20/why-toronto-sports-teams-wear-blue/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} The university's official branding guidelines define the colour as Pantone PMS 655, equivalent to the hex code #1E3765. In all official branding and communications on campus and online, it serves as the sole primary colour. Its definition within the Pantone system parallels that of Oxford, but differs from other university dark blue colours such as Yale Blue, which approximate their identity colours to fit within the Pantone system when required but are historically defined by many other traditions.{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Ellen |date=2002-10-01 |title=True Blue {{!}} The New Journal |url=https://thenewjournalatyale.com/2002/10/true-blue/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |language=en-US}}

File:Lions at Varsity Blues 2008.jpg at Varsity Stadium, with UofT blue in use alongside the sports logo.]]

UofT Blue serves as the primary colour for the university's Varsity Blues sports teams, which shaped how the city of Toronto began branding itself using the colour blue. For example, most major sports teams representing Toronto adopt a similar shade of blue, including the Maple Leafs and Marlies (hockey), Blue Jays (baseball), and Argonauts (football), and the city of Toronto's logo, flag, and coat of arms do the same.{{Cite web |date=2017-08-16 |title=City of Toronto Symbols |url=https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/tributes/city-of-toronto-symbols/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=City of Toronto |language=en-CA}} Newspapers that are centred around the city, such as the Toronto Star and NOW. Toronto ([https://nowtoronto.com/ updated website]), adopt other variants of blue. While other teams and agencies adopt the colour red (e.g. the Raptors and Reds), the colour blue collects Toronto's identity as distinct from the usage of red throughout Canada as a national colour, adopted from the country's English roots, similar to how the university adopted its colour from Oxford.

While the university's official mascot for its sports teams are nicknamed the Varsity Blues, its mascot, "True Blue," is a reference to the blue colour identity of the university.{{Cite web |title=True Blue |url=https://varsityblues.ca/sports/2008/8/18/FASTP_0818084240?tab=mascot |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=University of Toronto Athletics |language=en}} Although the university prioritises the "blue" nickname in its identity, its mascot is a beaver, similar to the Crimson nickname of Harvard University, with the beaver uniquely connecting to its status as one of Canada's national symbols{{Cite web |last=Heritage |first=Canadian |date=2017-12-14 |title=Official symbols of Canada |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/official-symbols-canada.html#a3 |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.canada.ca}} and its feature on the university coat of arms.{{Cite web |last=Van |first=Nadia Siu |date=2018-01-03 |title=Velut arbor ævo {{!}} By Nadia Siu Van {{!}} University of Toronto Magazine |url=https://magazine.utoronto.ca/campus/history/velut-arbor-aevo-university-of-toronto-motto-coat-of-arms-nadia-siu-van/#:~:text=Put%20together%20two%20open%20books%20with%20a,metaphor%20for%20U%20of%20T%20students%20themselves. |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=University of Toronto Magazine |language=en-CA}}File:Toronto Blue Jays (27639722272).jpg baseball team celebrate while wearing their dark blue team colours.]]File:Pierre Engvall playing with the Maple Leafs in 2022 (Quintin Soloviev) (cropped).jpg player Pierre Engvall wearing the Toronto Maple Leafs home colour uniform (dark blue).]]

• Toronto Varsity Blues
• Oxford blue
• Yale blue
• Lists of colors

{{reflist}}

{{shades of blue}}

Category:Shades of blue

Category:School colors

Category:University of Toronto