Gee-Gees Tradition

The Garnet and Grey has been proudly worn by uOttawa student-athletes for generations. The University of Ottawa was founded in 1848 and is home to the third oldest university football program in Canada. The early success of both the football program, established in 1881, and the men's hockey program which followed in 1890, ensured that sport would always have a special place in the hearts of uOttawa students.

When you join a Gee-Gees team or support them in the stands, you are a part of a proud tradition within the Nation's Capital. The Gee-Gees have played an integral in the development of sport in Ottawa, and continue to step forward into our community as a place where sport and academics are combined in the pursuit of excellence.

Three of Canada's largest university sport events are held in Ottawa; the Panda Game, Capital Hoops Classic, and Colonel By Classic, reaffirm each year that university sport deserves the big stage. Ottawa was the location of the first women's hockey game played in Canada and the first IIHF women's world championship, and the Gee-Gees celebrate that heritage with the Alerts Cup.

The women's volleyball Pre-Season Classic is one of the longest-running tournaments in U SPORTS, getting its start in 1983. The women's rugby program has stepped onto the U SPORTS podium in each of the last seven seasons and seen alumni on the pitch at the World Cup. Steve Johnson has led the women's soccer program for its entire 29-year existence and holds an OUA record ten championships with a career record of 364-66-68. Canadian Olympian Dave Heinbuch heads a resurgent Gee-Gees swimming team which has grown into one of the nation's top programs.

At uOttawa we are committed to ensuring that our traditions are carried on with respect for the past while ushering in a new generation of Gee-Gees fans in our city and beyond.