Gee-Gees Quick Facts

Women's rugby team walking away after scoring

Founded in 1848, the University of Ottawa adopted its official colours Garnet and Grey, and like many nineteenth-century institutions, the athletics teams were known only by the school's colours. A connection was made between the shorthand "GGs" and "Gee-Gee", the common British nickname for a racehorse. The unique Gee-Gees name and iconic logo known today is a result of 170 years of history.

By the numbers:

922 student-athletes on teams

306 Academic Award Recipients on varsity teams

48,259 total uOttawa enrollment

1,000,000 City of Ottawa population

In many measurable ways, the 2018-2019 varsity season was the most successful in school history. Ten of our fourteen varsity teams were ranked in the national top ten polls - more than in any other season in history. The women's soccer team won the national championship, and three individual athletes claimed five gold medals at the U SPORTS level. The women's rugby team and women's basketball team captured national bronze medals after being ranked no. 1 in the nation during the regular season. The men's hockey team sported the best regular season record in the OUA and reached a no. 4 national ranking as well as two national major award winners. The women's rugby team won its fifth straight RSEQ title, the women's soccer team won its record-breaking ninth OUA banner, and the men's golf team won its first OUA Championship as a Varsity Club level team. In all, the Gee-Gees won 11 national medals – the most of any season in history.

2019-2020 built on the that success, with a sixth RSEQ Championship and national bronze medal for women's rugby, best-ever finishes for the swimming teams at the national championships, and eight teams ranked in the top ten polls including women's soccer and women's basketball at no. 1. The men's hockey team returned to the national championship tournament, and uOttawa had 27 conference all-stars, seven All-Canadians, and seven national medallists earning nine podium finishes in swimming and track and field in 2019-20. The Gee-Gees also went international with the women's soccer team capturing the FISU World Cup.

If you are looking for information about our varsity teams that you can't find on our website, please reach out to the Sports Information and Digital Media Office at sportinfo@uottawa.ca