Guelph Athletics is the athletic department at the University of Guelph, located in Guelph, Ontario. The university athletics program is sponsored by Russell Athletics. Many of the athletic programs are associated with Ontario University Athletics and Canadian Interuniversity Sport, to compete for both provincial and national championships. The university teams are called the Guelph Gryphons. History of the Mascot The gryphon is an animal of the earth and the sky and it is composed of a lion's body and an eagle's head and wings where the lion represents strength and the eagle represents intelligence. They are portrayed as half beings of each other to emphasize that strength and intelligence should be used together to be successful. Gryphons, although imaginary, have been depicted through time to be heroic. The background of the gryphon is very majestic and Guelph athletics attempts to embody the gryphon as much as possible. The Guelph colours are red, gold, and black and are featured on all Guelph athletic apparel from varsity to house league teams as well as on clothing and on memorabilia. The gryphon mascot can be found at all varsity game, inciting cheers and chants from Guelph students and fans. Athletic Facilities Athletic facilities at the University of Guelph are separated into four main branches, each housing a variety of facilities for various purposes or sports: W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre, Gryphon Dome, Gryphon Centre, Alumni Stadium. W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre The W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre was originally opened in 1957 containing a triple gym, an ice surface approximately 185 by 65, and a five lane 25 yard pool with a diving board. Since then, a number of renovations and expansions have taken place. Today, the Athletics Centre houses two pools, with the second one, named the Gold Pool, built in 1995. The new pool is used by not only the official University of Guelph swim team, but also public fitness and recreational classes and intramural sports. The original pool that was built in 1957 is now exclusively used for public aquatic classes and intramural sports. The W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre also houses the University of Guelph gymnasium and the fitness centre/weight room. The gymnasium is used for basketball as well as other court-based intramural sports. The fitness centre is a facility and is open and supervised 107 hours a week by fitness staff. The Cardio Theatre within the fitness centre contains computerized cardio equipment