Varsity sports

North America

In the United States and Canada, varsity teams are the principal athletic teams representing a university, college, technical school, high school, junior high school, or middle school. Such teams compete against similar teams at corresponding educational institutions. Groups of varsity sports teams are often organized into athletic conferences, which are groups of teams that regularly play each other during a given athletic season. In recognition of their high level of performance, athletes on varsity teams are often given varsity letters. They are in contrast to the institution's club sports.