Varsity Blues baseball player Connor Broughton is quoted in this U of T News article about the World Series watching parties hosted by the University of Toronto.
With Blue Jays mania sweeping the city during the World Series, the historic core of the University of Toronto’s St. George campus has become a rallying point for fans, with a giant outdoor screen turning Front Campus into a buzzing hub of baseball, school spirit and civic pride.
The tone was set from Game 1’s thrilling 11-4 victory over Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 24.
More than 500 fans showed up to support the Jays – with evening rain and single-digit temperatures doing little to dampen the spirits. Attendees sat on folding chairs – or plastic ground sheets handed out by U of T staff – and took in the action, with many sipping on warm beverages and munching down on poutine and snacks from nearby food trucks.
Members of the U of T community and beyond turned up in the hundreds, settling in with snacks and beverages (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)
The festivities kicked off with U of T President Melanie Woodin and Chancellor Wes Hall leading the crowd in a countdown culminating with a loud cry of “Go Jays Go!"
U of T Chancellor Wes Hall, left, and U of T President Melanie Woodin, right, share high-fives with True Blue, the university’s mascot (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)
Woodin said the decision to organize the watch parties – which also drew crowds for Game 2 the following night and for Game 3’s 18 inning marathon – was inspired in part by her fond memories of enjoying the Jays' World Series appearances in the early 1990s as a U of T undergrad.
“I remember so distinctly how fun it was to be with other U of T students celebrating the Jays in the World Series – and I wanted our students to experience the same,” Woodin said. “So we thought: why not open Front Campus and give them a place to come down, be together, have fun and support the Jays?”
First-year student Beomjin Park wore a #11 Bo Bichette jersey tucked under his winter coat (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)
Beomjin Park, a first-year social sciences student from South Korea, said the Blue Jays have enjoyed a large following in his home country since the signing of star South Korean pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu, who played for the Jays from 2020 to 2023.
"As a student now living in Toronto, to be supporting the Jays is very exciting," said Park, wearing a #11 Bo Bichette jersey – tucked under a winter jacket as the evening chill settled in.
First-year students, including Madeline Molnar, back right, pose for a celebratory photo after receiving free Game 2 tickets (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)
Madeline Molnar was among a group of lucky first-year students who received free tickets to Game 2 at the Rogers Centre, courtesy of a Rogers representative.
Molnar said she had a train booked to Niagara Falls, Ont., on the night of Game 2, but that a change of plans was now in order. “I'm cancelling it,” she said.
The prize marked a full circle moment for her entire group of friends, who met at U of T orientation and went to a Jays game together during orientation week.
There was plenty for fans to cheer about during Game 1, which the Jays won 11-4 (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)
While only time will tell whether the underdog Blue Jays will succeed in toppling what some had dubbed an “unbeatable” Dodgers team, there’s no question the competitive series has already provided a thrilling ride for Jays fans in Toronto and across Canada.
At U of T, that much was evident by the jubilation that coursed through the crowd when the Jays' Addison Barger hit the first-ever grand slam by a pinch hitter in Game 1, and by the 50-odd die-hard fans who stuck around to watch Game 3 until nearly 3 a.m. – only to see the Dodgers snatch a deflating 6-5 win after nine extra innings.
U of T Chancellor Wes Hall and U of T President Melanie Woodin talk to a group of Varsity Blues baseball players, including pitcher Patrick Stasyszyn, centre (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)
Several Varsity Blues baseball players showed up to the watch parties, including Connor Broughton, who expressed optimism for the Jays' chances.
“It doesn’t always matter which team spends more money or has a better team on paper. We might be underdogs here but … these are two strong teams and we’re a well-coached team, too,” said Broughton, a pitcher for the Varsity Blues and fourth-year student studying geography, planning and geographic information science (GIS).
He added the Jays could also benefit from being a young team who share a close bond with one another. “That goes a long way. I think they’re hungry to use a bit of an underdog mentality and just lay it all out and play their best baseball.”
(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)
For many U of T students, the chance to enjoy World Series watch parties on Front Campus was simply too good to pass up.
"We were planning to go to the bar, but then we saw on social media that U of T are doing this so we decided to come here together," said Yusuf Saputra, a second-year student from Indonesia majoring in economics and statistics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, who came with a group of friends.
Hannah H., a U of T Mississauga student who didn't want her last name used, said she travelled to the St. George campus with two friends on the UTM shuttle bus.
“We figured it would be a better time than trying to find some random sports bar or restaurant,” she said. “The environment is really cool.”
Learn more about World Series watch parties on the St. George campus