Western Mustangs
About the Mustangs
Founded in 1913, the Western Mustangs, the varsity sports program at Western University, compete provincially within Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and nationally within U Sports. The program, which consists of more than 40 men’s and women’s varsity teams, hosts its home games on campus at various facilities and also at other sports venues within the city.
From football to men’s and women’s hockey, basketball, volleyball and rowing, the Mustangs have captured numerous provincial and national championships over the last century-plus. Other varsity teams include men’s baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country and track and field, and women’s softball, to name a few.
The Mustangs’ football team, which plays its home games at TD Stadium, has won 32 Yates Cup titles as provincial champions and seven Vanier Cups as national champs, most recently in 2017. Western’s men’s squash team has won 36 straight OUA titles, while the school’s cheerleading team has won 24 consecutive national titles.
For the most recent completed season (2019-2020), swimmer Sebastian Paulins was named Mustangs Male Athlete of the Year, while track & field and cross-country star Kate Current was named Female Athlete of the Year.
Omar Shiddo was stabbed in July 2020. Surgery required 31 staples. He was bedridden for a month. Then he returned to Western, finishing what he started — breaking the Mustangs’ all-time scoring record.