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  • Writer's picturePaul Baker

Lundholm Gymnasium – New Hampshire Wildcats


Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey


Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57

Lundholm Gymnasium

145 Main St

Durham, NH 03824

Year Opened: 1938 Capacity: 3,000

 

The Home of New Hampshire Hoops

Lundholm Gymnasium is named for Carl Lundholm, a University of New Hampshire graduate and athletic director at the school from 1939 to 1963. The gym is located inside the Field House, the hub of the Wildcat athletic department. This quaint facility serves as home to both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the volleyball team, and the gymnastics team.


The court at Lundholm Gymnasium is dedicated to Gerry Friel, who served as head coach for the men’s basketball team from 1969-1989. The New England Basketball Hall of Famer was the school’s all-time leader in victories with 188 until current coach Bill Herrion passed Friel’s mark during the 2019-20 season.

Basketball has been played at the University of New Hampshire since 1903. Members of the America East conference, the team has yet to qualify for the NCAA tournament.


Food & Beverage 2

There is a small concession stand in the Field House lobby that serves a limited menu for Wildcat fans needing a snack during the game. Hot dogs, nachos, and snacks make up the entire menu. Stadium Journey recommends the awesome Whoopie Pies.


Coca-Cola products are featured at Lundholm Gymnasium. No alcohol is sold at this on-campus venue. During the cold New Hampshire winters, the hot beverages offered here are popular items.


Atmosphere 2

In a small gym like Lundholm, the game day atmosphere begins and ends with the presence of the pep band and student section. While the active pep band fills the gym with noise throughout the game, there is no organized presence from the student body. Basketball is far down on the food chain here at UNH, and most of the students seem to save their energy for hockey games. The cheerleading squad, dance team and mascot add some flavor to the experience. The crowd seems to mainly consist of locals who follow the Wildcats closely.


Banners honoring Wildcat tournament and championship teams in basketball, volleyball and gymnastics hang on the Lundholm Gymnasium walls. There is a scoreboard on either end of the gym that displays basic game statistics.


Neighborhood 3

The University of New Hampshire dominates the small town of Durham. The university is located just west of downtown on Main Street, less than a mile from the gym. Durham has a nice, traditional small-town college feels to it, and there are a few places worth checking out for a bite to eat if you are visiting here from out of town. Students regularly pack Libby’s Bar and Grill or Durham House of Pizza for a pre-or post-game meal.


Fans visiting UNH from out of town will often head east to Portsmouth, located just 11 miles from Lundholm Gymnasium. Portsmouth features a picturesque, walkable downtown with numerous quaint shops and excellent restaurants. Since there are not many lodging options in Durham, head to Portsmouth for more choices.


Boston, Massachusetts is about an hour’s drive south on I-95. The White Mountains are located just a ninety-minute drive north of Durham and feature spectacular foliage in the fall and many outstanding ski resorts in the winter.


Fans 2

Attendance at New Hampshire basketball games has declined over the past few seasons. You can expect a crowd of about 500 fans at a Wildcat basketball game. Obviously, basketball is not the marquee sport at UNH, but those fans who do show up at Lundholm Gym are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the team. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a turnout by the student body.


Access 3

Durham is a small town with a population of just over 16,500 located fifteen minutes west of Portsmouth and an hour north of Boston. The town is easy to reach, located just off of Interstate 95 and Route 4. The University of New Hampshire dominates Durham, with the campus straddling Main Street. There is an Amtrak station across the street from the Field House, which serves Boston and points beyond on the eastern corridor. Wildcat Transit has busses that connect Durham with nearby Portsmouth, Dover and Newmarket. More information on local public transportation options, including bus lines and airports, can be found here.


Lundholm Gymnasium is located on the western edge of campus adjacent to the school’s other athletic facilities. Wildcat Stadium is attached to the back of the Field House and Whittemore Center is located on the opposite side of Main Street. Fans will park across the street from the Field House in Lot A and arrive at the facility via a tunnel that passes underneath Main Street.


The Field House is the hub of New Hampshire athletics, as it contains the department’s administrative offices, Swazey Pool, gymnastics training room, the Paul Sweet oval, and Reggie Atkins track. Fans coming here for basketball games will enter a small lobby that contains the ticket booths, concession stand, restrooms, and the UNH photo gallery. Lundholm Gymnasium will be directly in front of you as you enter.


Seating inside Lundholm Gymnasium consists of molded bleachers without backs on either side of the court. There are no seats on the ends of the court. With the small size of the gym, all seats feature excellent views of the action.


Return on Investment 5

Going to a Wildcat basketball game is a most affordable entertainment option for New Hampshire sports fans. Tickets are sold as general admission for only seven dollars. Seniors and students receive a two-dollar discount. Parking in Lot A across the street from the Field House is free, and aside from the nachos, no concession item costs more than $4.50.


Extras 1

When visiting Lundholm Gymnasium, be sure to take a walk around the Field House and check out the photos of every single varsity program to ever represent the university. Not just championship teams, but every single squad. Every sport, every year. It’s an impressive gallery. Hidden amongst these pictures of thousands of young men and women are a hockey Hall of Famer (Rod Langway, class of ’79), a baseball Hall of Famer who went to UNH on a basketball scholarship (Carlton Fisk, class of ’63) and a hockey player who is best known as an actor who played a hockey player (Michael Ontkean, class of ’70, a.k.a. Ned Braden from the cult classic Slap Shot). Also, check out the women’s hockey teams from 1977-92, where coach Russ McCurdy would pose for the annual team photo holding his cat.


Final Thoughts

Lundholm Gymnasium is typical of the smaller facilities that dot the northeast. While far removed from big-time college basketball, these gyms have a charm all their own. If visiting Durham, be sure to give yourself some time to explore the Field House and the incredible display of New Hampshire's athletic history.


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