Mark your calendars: A new era in Thayer athletics begins on Homecoming (Saturday, Oct. 3) at 3 p.m. when the varsity football team plays its home opener against Brooks School. 

The NEPSAC gridiron matchup represents a milestone because it will take place on a state-of-the-art turf field, part of a new multisport athletic complex designed to celebrate community and school spirit. In addition to the turf field — which has the versatility to host football, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse games — the athletic complex includes permanent lighting to accommodate night games for various sports teams in the fall and spring. 

Other features of the new athletic complex include: a press box, a sound system, a video scoreboard, and a Tiger Tunnel through which student-athletes will make their game day entrance. The turf field is encircled by a brand-new track named in honor of the late Richard Sawyer P ’68, ’71, Thayer’s longtime track & field coach. The naming of the Sawyer Hemery Repass Track was made possible by a generous donation from Randy Repass ’62, a track co-captain his senior year who considers Sawyer a mentor to so many and who was a Thayer teammate of Olympic gold medalist David Hemery ’62. 

Greg Lally ’92 P ’22, ’25, ’26, ’28, chairman of the Thayer Academy Board of Trustees and himself a former Tiger student-athlete, said Thayer’s investment in its sports programs ensures that the next generation of Thayer students has the same life-changing opportunities that he had. 

“The new multisport athletic complex is the next step forward in the incredible history of Thayer athletics,” said Lally. 

Athletic Director Bobbi Moran added that, at its core, the infrastructure improvements are about bringing the entire Thayer community together. 

“The new athletic complex is an invitation to students, families, and alumni to gather, cheer, belong, and — most importantly — come home,” Moran said. 

The athletics complex has been under construction all summer, and the work is rapidly drawing to a close. The new lights are in place, as are the stands. Over the coming days, the track will be completed and landscaping work will finish the project.

The Oct. 3 game also marks another milestone: the first home game for new Varsity Football Head Coach Casey DeAndrade, who took over the reins of the program this summer. Before Thayer, the former UNH All-American cornerback had spent eight seasons coaching at the collegiate level. 

For a complete schedule of all Thayer sports teams, click here.

Note: Several lead gifts have allowed us to move forward with this project so that the facility will open in time for the 2026 fall season; however, community support remains vital to helping us cross the finish line. Alumni, parents, and friends of Thayer are invited to help bring this vision to life.

Philanthropic gifts can be directed to the facility in general, while a variety of naming opportunities remain available for donors wishing to leave a lasting legacy on Thayer’s campus.

To learn more about the project or make a tax-deductible contribution to the new Multisport Athletics Complex, please contact Chief Advancement & Engagement Officer Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 P ’25, ’28, ’29 or visit Thayer’s online giving page.