Men's and women's sports at UNH have early roots, beginning with football, basketball, track, ice hockey and winter sports for men, and basketball, gymnastics, field hockey and soccer for women. Early, too, were the social traditions that accompanied these sports, particularly football. Fight songs, bonfires, rallies, mayorality campaigns, banquets, proms, and half-time band performances are some of the events that have evolved around football, a sport that has had a long tradition of bringing students, alumni and the community together in the name of team spirit.

This exhibit is a collaborative effort between the University Museum, the University Archives and the 1998 spring semester University Honors Program Seminar in the History of Sport taught by Professor Steve Hardy in the Department of Kineseology. The museum blended much of the student's research about UNH teams with its sports memorabilia collection to create an enteraining display. Given the limited exhibit space, this display could only scratch the surface of UNH sports history.