Students at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) can now watch live TV events and games at the Memorial Union Building (MUB) in Union Court on the big screen for free. So far, the MUB has shown fan favorite sporting events including the Red Sox, Celtics, and the Patriots, as well as other live TV events like the Academy of Country Music Awards. Students can find upcoming games or TV events that will be played on the big screen in Union Court on Wildcat Link. If students have a game or other TV event that they would like to be played in Union they can email Curt Kenoyer at [email protected], who is the coordinator of operations in the MUB.   

Any member of the UNH community is allowed to attend, as long as they are participating in the UNH testing program, although it is primarily directed towards students. 

Kenoyer described the setup of Union Court to accommodate for social distancing, saying that Union Court is “currently setup to maintain social distancing with some pods where friends can sit in a group. MUB staff help monitor face coverings and social distancing and can help create additional pods specifically for highlighted events,” said Kenoyer. 

Students are required to socially distance and wear face masks inside the MUB at all times. Kenoyer explained that exceptions to the rules for students regarding face coverings are “while actively eating or drinking. With that said, we do not allow groups of students to share food sources like pizzas, etc.”    

Throughout last week, Union Court was showing the NBA finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. So far, there are no upcoming games posted in the Wildcat link, but they are open to recommendations. 

Kenoyer recognized that students have been “spending more time than usual in their rooms” because of the coronavirus (COVID-19), they wanted to give students more activities to do on campus. “There are limited meetings/events on campus, we simply wanted to provide another option for students to enjoy major TV events or support local sports teams on the big screen in Union Court with friends or other fans,” Kenoyer said. 

So far, the turnouts have been small with about 10 students attending the showings at Union Court. Kenoyer hopes that as the word gets spread there will be a bigger turnout. He said, “In general, UNH is trying to limit social gatherings to groups of 25 or less. Based on recent attendance we have plenty of room to grow. Should the attendance drastically change, we would pursue adaptations to make it safe for all wanting to participate.” 

Although this is a new initiative, Kenoyer is hoping to advertise the shows taking place in the MUB on their social media accounts, so that more students will attend.