New England College’s football team will play its first official game on Saturday, more than 50 years since the Pilgrims last fielded a gridiron squad.
The school briefly organized a team for two seasons in the 1970s, according to Coach Kevin Kelly, and lost every game. The aim is to do better.
“New England College has never won a varsity football game. So that’s our first goal,” Kelly said.
Last year, the team played an exhibition season, picking up a few wins. This season’s slate of official games kicks off Saturday at 12 p.m. against Plymouth State University in a Division III clash.
“This is the big boy league,” said Kelly.
Nearly 40% of the Pilgrim roster are graduates of New Hampshire high schools, but they’ll be led Saturday by quarterback Lukas Kottstorfer, a 6’2” 210 lb. transfer from Bryant University who originally hails from Germany.
Given that the majority of his players are freshmen and sophomores, Kelly said he’s focused on not just this season, but growing the program long term.
“Just think about what we’ll be like in three or four years,” he said. “We’ll be just like everybody else.”
Division III athletic programs award academic and need-based scholarships, but don’t grant athletic scholarships. There also aren’t massive opportunities for athletes to earn money on their images and on-field talents, the way stars at larger programs are now able to under NCAA rules.
But Kelly said the Pilgrims won’t lack support: he said the student body and a network of alumni have been supportive.
“You got to win on campus first,” he said.
The administration is backing the revitalized football team with a new stadium and an updated training facility, both of which are still under construction. For now, fans are encouraged to bring their own chairs to Saturday’s game, as there is limited bleacher space for the more than 2,000 people expected to attend.
