Despite the season being over six months away, excitement for UNH football was in the air Wednesday night in Portsmouth, as the Department of Athletics unveiled the Victory Club and season ticket options for the new Wildcat Stadium.
The Victory Club, which is set to open with the stadium this fall, is a high class, premium seating option designed to provide a unique game experience. It is complete with comfortable seats advertised as “the best seats in the house,” an all-you-can-eat buffet, access to an outdoor patio, and more.
Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs Jon Danos described the stadium project as “an extraordinary event,” and “incredibly exciting,” while emphasizing the meaning it will have on the community.
“I think it’s symbolic of a progressive community, it’s symbolic of the success of the university as a whole, but obviously represents the success of the play on the field,” he said.
Wildcat Stadium is generating plenty of eagerness around the state, and UNH football head coach Sean McDonnell said he receives positive feedback from fans, “every place I go.”
“There’s a buzz about it, and that makes it special, knowing that people care,” he said. “It’s not just the folks in our university, because we all know we all care, but everyone around the state seems to be caring, and that’s a great thing for us.”
The expansion will nearly double the stadium’s capacity, from 6,500 to between 10,000 and 12,000, playing to the growing demand for tickets. A rowdy, enthusiastic stadium environment is one of the benchmarks of college football, and McDonnell expects that trend to continue at UNH.
“It gives us a physical presence that is needed in college athletics; an outstanding environment, outstanding place to play the game in, and more importantly, to have fan experience be special,” he said. “Sitting in great seats, side-by-side the video board, things of that nature. The Cat Pack in the Dungeon end zone. Those things make it an exciting day of fun for people who are going to watch a game.”
In addition to the fans’ experiences, McDonnell stressed that the players are just as thrilled to break in the stadium, especially recently signed recruits.
“[Recruits] are excited by it,” he said. “They’re wild knowing they’re going to be the first group of kids to go through here in four years and play in a stadium that they can call home that’s a beautiful place.”
As the stadium nears completion, Danos said that he feels satisfied with what has been accomplished thus far.
“There’s a great sense of pride,” he said.
