Football, a symbol of American sports, is known to bring together people from all over the nation. Whether you are a Dallas fan living in Massachusetts, a die-hard Bills Mafia member, an avid Taylor and Kelce fan, or just in it for groundbreaking halftime commercials and performances.
While the game on Saturday, Oct. 4, was a tough 37-7 loss to Villanova, the University of New Hampshire’s love for football shines through.
Here at UNH, we take a lot of pride in our sports. The rivalry with UMaine, the campus-wide tailgates, wildcat marching band performances, throwing the fish on the ice, and the Cat Pack Captains' school spirit.
When reading about the football game or watching it, we find ourselves hearing from the coaches, players, and athletic directors. Let’s look beyond that, beyond the field, beyond just the faces of the sidelines. Who are the behind-the-scenes actors that make not only the experience better, but are the real playmakers in making the game happen?
Something that might catch your eye while watching the kickoff is an adorable black Labrador Retriever running onto the field to grab the tee. At the sound of the referee's whistle, Jem runs out gracefully as the stands and sidelines cheer her on.
“The dog loves it; it’s developing into a crowd favorite. She loves the people and she loves the crowd,” said owner Steve O’Neil. O’Neil lives in Hampton with Jem and her sister Lulu, who just gave birth to a new litter of puppies. He frequently takes his dogs duck hunting, which provides them with the training that Jem needs to be able to fetch the tee undistracted.
“I got the idea from Boise State Football when I was out visiting friends, and it just stuck with me when I saw that. So I called up UNH Athletics in the Summer of 2022, and when they got back to me, we made it official,” said O’Neil. He watched proudly as Jem, displayed on the scoreboard for the whole crowd to see and enjoy, rushed out to grab the tee.
Another crowd favorite that takes place on the sidelines of the field is something many game-goers might hear instead of see: the cannon that sounds after each score. I remember my first UNH football game, and we had just scored a touchdown when the deafening BOOM jolted me from my seat. As some of us from small towns may agree, this is a weird tradition.
This cannon, of which all UNH fans are accustomed, is owned by Jeff Rell with the 18th Regiment in Dover, NH. For the past 17 years, they have been coming to these games. Rell recounted that he has not missed one home game in all those years.
It all started when they were asked to shoot the cannon for Coach McDonnell’s—the UNH head football coach from 1999 to 2021—birthday during a practice, and because he loved it so much, he made it into one of UNH’s proudest traditions. Dressed in their authentic period-type clothing, the crew of four begins the safety protocol that readies the cannon ahead of the next scoring play.
“I'm a UNH football fan—big time. I love the atmosphere. I like this better than the pros, actually, because these kids play with heart. They're not playing for millions of dollars. The fans come because they like football, because they're a family here. It's such a cool thing to be able to do what we do,” said Rell.
Hidden on the ground level of the Field House is the equipment room, which on game day is bustling with players, staff, and the smell of freshly cooked hot dogs. Neil Lavoie, the Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Operations, not only helps each player with whatever they need, but also ensures that around 100 hot dogs are cooking.
“We think it was started in the early 60s by Jack French, a longtime manager here for 39 years. We used to get away with like 20-30 hot dogs; now it’s around 100 something,” said Lavoie. The rule used to be that anybody who was associated with the program that wasn’t an athlete could treat themselves to a hot dog. That number grew to include coaches, support staff, athletic trainers, ticketing, ball boys, alumni, retired coaches, and the media.
“As they retired, and I'm trying to figure out all the responsibilities of things to do, how to be an equipment manager, etc., there was always one thing that I couldn’t screw up on, and that was the hot dogs,” said Lavoie. Although this tradition is for home football games only, it has grown into such a tradition that players look forward to coming back as alumni to get these hot dogs.
“I first found out about this when my buddy Norm Jones, who played basketball here, told me. He'd say JoJo, you have to come with me for a snack in the equipment room, they have hot dogs,” said Arthur Nato (JoJo), a UNH alumnus turned UNH track and field official. Nato had his first equipment room hot dog in 1973, and now, for one game each year, buys the groceries so that he can give back for the many years that he partook in the tradition.
Lavoie has been working with UNH Athletics in their equipment room since 2006, when his father linked him up with the job. Lavoie’s father worked here for 39 years and brought him to game after game, where Lavoie was able to watch the greats play, including players-turned-coaches like Rick Santos and Michael Souza (Men’s Hockey).
“Those guys were players when I was growing up and stuff, so it was kind of cool to see those guys play on the field that I would be working for one day,” said Lavoie. Now working hand in hand with Coach Santos and Coach Souza, Lavoie loves what he does and every staff member and player looks to him with the utmost respect.
“I think he’s one of the unsung heroes of our entire athletic department, not just the football program. We wouldn’t do what we do on game day without him. He keeps us organized, he has a great relationship with our student athletes, and he makes great hot dogs on game day, which is kind of our secret sauce and why we’ve been so successful at home,” said football coach Rick Santos.
The last highlight that makes UNH Athletics the pride and joy of the campus is its most beloved worker. Evangélica Karambatsos, or as everyone calls her, Litsa, is the soul of the program. She is usually seen around the building, with a vacuum, a mop, a broom, her UNH team merch and the biggest smile on her face.
Litsa is originally from Greece, coming to New Hampshire 27 years ago with her husband, Ted. She lives in Dover, where she raised her two kids, Peter and Dina, before coming to work at UNH 16 years ago. She began in the dorms for 8 of those years, loving every second of it and being able to have the summers off for her kids. Now, for the past eight years, she has been working for the athletic department.
“Here, the athletic department has nice people: the coaches, the people, the officers, but working with the athletic kids, it's more mature, more faithful, and more respectful,” said Litsa.
“I love Litza, she’s a sweetheart. She goes above and beyond here. Every time we come in and there’s something that needs to be done, you tell her, and it’s done instantaneously. She does a great job at making sure the athletics department has that homely feel,” said Coach Santos.
Litsa prides herself in her work, making sure that the fieldhouse and stadium are pristine and clean, not just on game day but every day. She believes that it is very important for the athletic department, the student athletes and the parents and families that visit to come into a clean environment.
“I'm happy with my work. No matter housekeeping, no matter what, you need to love the job you're doing. It's very important that the work makes you happy. The pleasure of working should make you happy,” said Litsa.
By switching gears from the typical athletic story, we can see the many different people who are involved in the game aside from just the players and the coaching staff. The sidelines hold so many important people, but beyond that, there are so many more important people who love what they do so much that they smile through every aspect of their job.
