Toronto Metropolitan University announces new team name and mascot
Toronto, ON - August 29, 2022: Today Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) announced a new team name and mascot as part of the university’s Next Chapter commitments. Teams previously known as the Ryerson Rams will now be called the TMU Bold. A new mascot has also been selected for the university, which will be moving from a ram to a falcon.
“Boldness is a core value of our university. It is shared by our students, reflected in our approach to learning and research, and demonstrated on the court, the field, and the rink by our athletes,” said president and vice-chancellor, Mohamed Lachemi. “Our new team name and mascot represents another opportunity to unify our community behind the shared values and aspirations of our University. I am looking forward to cheering on the Blue, Gold and Bold this fall.”
Community engagement was an essential part of determining the team name and mascot. In an extensive two-phased process, TMU received 4,800 contributions via surveys. In May, the university received 2,100 responses to an initial survey and open call for suggestions. In July, a shortlist was published, which resulted in an additional 2,700 survey submissions and email responses.
“It was clear from the feedback that our community wanted the TMU mascot to be an animal with local significance, with a level of sophistication and something that would connect to the team name,” said Jen McMillen, vice-provost, students at TMU. “Falcons are as bold as they come. They are fast and fierce, they are good critical thinkers, they are strong. These are all qualities that align with boldness, and represent many qualities of TMU student-athletes.”
The selection of a new team name and mascot was one of the 22 recommendations put forward in (PDF file) a report by the Standing Strong Task Force in August 2021, which called for the university to reconsider the mascot “Eggy”, more formally Egerton the Ram, which had been the university mascot since 1961.
The new team name will be used immediately while new team uniforms and a physical mascot, complete with a nickname and costume, will follow in the coming months. Facilities at the Mattamy Athletic Centre will be updated to reflect the new name over the course of the academic year.
For more information about the TMU Bold, visit the university’s Athletics and Recreation (external link) site.
Further information on the university’s renaming process and ongoing updates on the action plan to implement all Standing Strong Task Force recommendations, can always be found on the Next Chapter Website.
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About Toronto Metropolitan University*:
Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly known as Ryerson University, is Canada’s leader in innovative, career-oriented education. Urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the University is home to more than 48,000 students, including 2,900 Master’s and PhD students, 4,000 faculty and staff, and over 225,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit torontomu.ca.
*In April 2022, the university renamed and began a new chapter
Media inquiries
Jessica Leach
416-704-2166
jleach@torontomu.ca