What Is 1911 New Hampshire football team

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Last updated: April 14, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1911 New Hampshire football team represented the University of New Hampshire in the 1911 college football season, finishing with a 2–3 record under head coach William Cowell.

Key Facts

The 1911 New Hampshire football team had a final record of 2 wins and 3 losses
William Cowell was the head coach during the 1911 season
The team played as an independent with no conference affiliation
Home games were held in Durham, New Hampshire, at the school's athletic field
The 1911 season was part of the early development of UNH’s intercollegiate football program

Overview

The 1911 New Hampshire football team represented the University of New Hampshire during the 1911 college football season. At the time, the school was known as New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, and the football program was still in its formative years.

The team competed as an independent, meaning it was not part of any formal athletic conference. This was common for smaller institutions in the early 20th century, as regional leagues had not yet fully developed.

Record: The team finished the season with a 2–3 win-loss record, indicating a slightly below-average performance for the year.
Coach:William Cowell served as head coach in 1911, leading the team through its schedule of regional opponents.
Season duration: The season spanned from October to November 1911, typical for college football at the time.
Home venue: Games were played on campus in Durham, New Hampshire, at an early version of what would become UNH’s athletic fields.
Historical context: This season occurred just 13 years after the program’s inception in 1898, placing it in the developmental phase of UNH football.

Season Structure and Opponents

The 1911 season featured a limited schedule, reflective of the era’s constraints on travel, funding, and intercollegiate coordination. Teams typically played between three and six games per season.

Opponent 1: The team opened against Bates College, losing 0–5 in a low-scoring defensive battle.
Opponent 2: They secured their first win by defeating St. John’s School with a final score of 16–0.
Opponent 3: A victory over Montreal High School followed, with a decisive 29–0 shutout.
Opponent 4: The team faced Bowdoin College and lost 0–10, continuing a trend of narrow defeats.
Opponent 5: Their final game was against Dartmouth’s freshman team, resulting in a 0–19 loss, highlighting the talent gap with larger programs.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of the 1911 New Hampshire team with other regional programs during the same season.

Team	Record	Coach	Key Opponent	Notable Fact
New Hampshire	2–3	William Cowell	Dartmouth (fr)	Played Montreal High School, an unusual non-collegiate opponent
Bowdoin	5–2	Harold Steele	Colby	One of the stronger Maine-based programs of the era
Bates	4–3	Edward Robinson	Bowdoin	Formerly coached at Amherst and brought experience
Dartmouth	5–1–1	Frank Cavanaugh	Harvard	Fielded both varsity and freshman squads
Maine	4–2–1	John Wells	New Hampshire	Did not play UNH in 1911 despite proximity

This table illustrates how New Hampshire compared to nearby teams in performance and scheduling. While peers like Bowdoin and Bates had winning records, UNH struggled to maintain consistency. The decision to schedule a high school team suggests limited availability of collegiate opponents. Additionally, the absence of a game against in-state rival Maine highlights the fragmented nature of early 20th-century college football scheduling.

Why It Matters

The 1911 season is a small but meaningful part of the University of New Hampshire’s athletic heritage. It reflects the challenges and realities of early college football in rural New England.

Program growth: The season contributed to the long-term development of UNH football, which later joined the Yankee Conference and NCAA Division I.
Historical record: Game results from 1911 are preserved in UNH archives and college yearbooks, offering insight into early sports culture.
Coaching legacy: William Cowell’s tenure, though brief, laid groundwork for future coaching hires and program stability.
Regional identity: Competing against Maine, Massachusetts, and Canadian teams helped establish regional athletic rivalries.
Educational context: Football in 1911 was seen as a way to promote school spirit and physical education among agricultural students.
Evolution of sport: The low scores and limited schedules reflect the pre-modern era of football, before standardized rules and widespread media coverage.

While the 1911 season may not stand out in terms of wins, it represents an important chapter in the institutional history of the University of New Hampshire and the broader story of American college athletics.