More than 75% of Dartmouth undergraduates are involved in sports — whether that be varsity, club and intramural teams or physical education programs. It is no surprise, then, that athletic activities are a popular pastime on the Green, especially during Sophomore Summer, when the grass is lush and spirits high.
Historically, sports have not always been a priority on the Green. The space was once used as a cattle pasture for Hanover’s residents until students rebelled, herding the animals into the basement of Dartmouth Hall in an act of protest, according to Dartmouth website archives.
In 1824, an ordinance created by the Town of Hanover permitted “the playing at ball or any game in which ball is used on the public common in front of Dartmouth College,” beginning the tradition of sports on the Green.
In the early 19th century, cricket and old-division football dominated the sports culture at the heart of Dartmouth’s campus. In the latter half of the century, Dartmouth’s first intercollegiate baseball, track and field, football and tennis games all took place on the Green, according to Dartmouth website archives.
Although official athletic competitions no longer take place on the Green, there are plenty of unofficial games played between students on sunny days. As temperatures rise, students flock to the Green with soccer balls, volleyball nets and speakers.
This happens on any nice spring or fall day — occasionally a surprise winter day, too — but during sophomore summer, when students typically have less to do and more sunshine to enjoy, sports on the Green often seem to be at their peak.
For Aneesh Sharma ’26, however, that has yet to be the case.
“I see so many less people,” Sharma said. “It’s like a ghost town.”
While Sharma expected the summer to be the Green’s most active season, he said the current quiet is more a factor of rainy weather than anything else. Hanover has seen several rainy days since summer classes began on June 20.
“I think students are waiting for the weather to become better,” Sharma said. “On a good, sunny day, we’ll see a lot of people go on the Green — playing Spikeball, a lot of volleyball, maybe some football and frisbee.”
Caleb Ash ’26, however, believes the reduced activity is not just a factor of the weather but also the limited number of students on campus. With roughly three-quarters of the undergraduate student body away from campus, even sunny days may see fewer Green-goers.
“But the people that are doing it seem to be having a great time,” Ash said. “I do feel jealous sometimes, because I wish I could make more time for it.”
This spring, with more sunny days than the summer so far, the Green was buzzing with all kinds of sports.
Isaac Delaney ’27 was interviewed while playing Spikeball — his favorite game to play on the Green — on a beautiful afternoon.
“The sunny days in Hanover are few and far between, especially in the winter, … so now that it’s spring I’m happy to get out here and play some games and have fun,” Delaney said. “Whenever it’s sunny out and I have the opportunity to get out and relieve some stress, I always take that opportunity.”
According to its website, the Information Desk at the Collis Center offers recreational equipment and lawn games to students, including items such as frisbees, footballs, corn hole and a giant Checkers set.
Students play with a mix of equipment — some bring their own from home, some rent it from Collis and some others just hop in on games that are already happening on the Green.
Ben Goltz ’27 wasn’t quite sure where the soccer ball he was playing with on the Green while being interviewed originated.
“I don’t know whose it is,” Goltz said. “It’s probably from Collis … I like how available stuff seems to be here.”
Before graduating, former Collis Center lead manager Teddy Smith ’24 said one of her duties was taking inventory of the equipment, including sports gear, available for rent.
The process for renting equipment is straightforward, Smith said.
“A student will give us their ID and then they can have the sports equipment,” Smith explained. “Most people will choose to have it [the equipment] for one or two hours, typically in the afternoon.”
If students fail to return the equipment before Collis closes for the day, they are charged a late fee, she said.
“We let them have their ID back,” Smith said. “But we do take their information from the ID [Net ID and Dash number] and we put it into a logging system and charge them.”
Smith added that Collis workers also send “auto emails” each day to students with missing equipment.
Another one of Smith’s responsibilities was purchasing new sports equipment to be made available for rent at Collis.
“Each term, or sometimes more often, I [asked] the students [on the Collis team] what they want,” Smith said.
In recent months, Smith said frisbees and spikeball equipment “are the most popular items” checked out, while volleyball was “getting more popular” during the spring.
Manu Gupta ’27 is a member of the Dartmouth Men’s Volleyball club team and frequently practices his skills with his teammates on the Green.
“Playing volleyball on the Green is something that as a club we love to do,” Gupta said. “It’s one of our favorite parts of being able to practice.”
According to the team’s website, playing volleyball on the Green is a “beloved tradition.”
Gupta said practicing and playing on the Green was a welcome change of pace after months of being stuck inside due to cold winter weather.
“It’s just a good way to experience the nice weather since we don’t get a lot of it up here in New Hampshire, while also doing the sport we love,” Gupta said. “It’s a great combination.”
In addition to practicing with official teams, many students said playing sports on the Green has also provided a way to hang out with current friends and forge new friendships.
“I’m playing soccer right now and half of the people here I haven’t met before,” Sahil Bhandary ’27 said. “Now we’re playing and we know each other … sports just promote a sense of community.”
Playing sports on the Green can also help students get back into sports that they played before coming to Dartmouth, or try out sports that they are a fan of watching.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was four years old,” Bhandary said. “I played travel for my high school’s varsity teams, for club and rec[reation] teams. … So I guess it’s my comfort sport.”
Pranav Akella ’27 praised the Green for bringing together students from all corners of campus.
“It’s a nice experience because we all share the Green, right?” Akella said.
The Green stands as a symbol of Dartmouth’s spirit, which thrives on tradition and community. Whether it’s a pickup softball game or a lively round of Spikeball, the Green provides a space for students to gather in pursuit of fun and friendly competition.
