University of Toronto Athletics

Updated: August 2026

The selection to the Varsity Blues swimming team is based on individual recorded best times. Prospective varsity swimmers are to contact the head coach and submit their resume with recent (past 12 months) best times. The head coach will inform the prospective student athlete if he/she will be able to make the team shortly after receiving the resume.
 
NUMBERS: The Varsity swim team is limited to 50 student-athletes, usually 25 men and 25 women. Only 18 of those swimmers (per gender) are permitted by league rules to compete at the conference championship and national championship meets.
 
Due to the increase in the applicants to the Varsity Blues swim team and the university-imposed cap of 25 swimmers (each gender), the times for consideration will be the following. And these times do not automatically mean qualification for the team—it is a function of current team size combined with graduations and number of recruits. Times need to have been done in the past 12 months (Women/Men)
100 backstroke           1:02.5/0:55.8
200 backstroke           2:14.0/2:01.5
100 breaststroke        1:11.0/1:02.0
200 breaststroke        2:32.0/2:16.0
100 butterfly               1:02.5/0:55.5
200 butterfly               2:17.5/2:03.0
200 IM                        2:19.0/2:03.5
400 IM                        4:56.0/4:25.0
50   freestyle               0:26.2/0:23.3
100 freestyle               0:57.1/0:51.2
200 freestyle               2:03.0/1:51.5
400 freesstyle             4:18.0/3:56.5

Note: only 18 members are permitted entry at the Championship meets (Conference OUA + U SPORTS Championships) as per League Rules. The squads for those meets will be chosen based on the number of points an athlete can score at the U SPORTS Championships (1^st priority) and the OUA Championships (2^nd priority). Decision being made close to those meets to allow for full analysis of the athletes on the team.
 
Definition of Terms:
 
Varsity Swim Team—the selected top (up to) 50 swimmers based on resumes.
Championship Squad—the top 18 male and female swimmers chosen from the Varsity Blues swimming team.
Travelling Squad—all those swimmers that have attained a U SPORTS national cut-off time;
However if the away trip involves some restrictions (eg flight /economics); the squad might be less; it could also include more depending on the circumstances.
 
All ranking of athletes will be based primarily on proven (ie past 12 months) performances that would score the most points at the national championships (first priority) and the conference championships (second priority).
 
The head coach reserves the right to use other factors in any decision—such as, but not limited to: training ; past performances; academic success; injury; seniority.
 
Coach Contact Information: Byron MacDonald byron.macdonald@utoronto.ca