For almost 40 years, U home football games have started with a bang.
That bang comes courtesy of Ute Thunder, a cannon that sits at the southeast side of Rice-Eccles Stadium during games.
The cannon’s firing mechanism needs to be fixed, and its wheel’s wooden spokes need to be reconditioned, according to Capt. Ray Bouchard, an associate professor of military science in the Army ROTC program. He oversees the cadets who fire Ute Thunder at games.
Because the cannon is nearly 100 years old, repairing it is no simple matter. Bouchard is leading the effort to raise the $3,000 necessary to repair Ute Thunder; a task that isn’t easy.
“I’m kind of looked at as a professional soldier, so it’s hard for me to get people to listen and help sometimes,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard is not alone in his desire to keep the cannon a part of U football tradition.
“It adds a lot of fun to football games, and we love the cannon and will do anything we can to keep it working and firing at games,” said Kris Bosman, assistant director of marketing in the athletic department.
“We don’t have a whole lot of tradition, so the cannon means a lot to us,” Bosman said.
Bouchard submitted a bill to the Associated Student of the University of Utah, He is confident ASUU will contribute some of the money needed to fix Ute Thunder.
“It’ll be ready for the first game of the season. It would be remiss of us if it wasn’t,” he said.
Though he doesn’t know how the tradition of firing the cannon began, he is certain that it needs to continue.
“It’s a very big tradition, and sitting where it is, it’s not worth a lot, but it has a lot of intrinsic value,” Bouchard said.
The cannon, which now sits behind the Army ROTC Building, was stored in the stadium for at least five years, protected only by a piece of canvas.
“We want to bring it closer to home,” Bouchard said. Plans include keeping the cannon in a paddock in front of the Army ROTC Building during the offseason. If he gets the paddock, Ute Thunder could serve as a disciplinary tool. Punishment for minor infractions could include waxing the cannon.
Originally designed to fire a 3 pound lead ball packed with gunpowder, the cannon has been remodeled to accommodate a 10 gauge shotgun blank.
“If we used the ammunition that it was designed for, it would send repercussions beyond the stadium when it was fired, and I don’t need to elaborate on what that would be like,” Bouchard said.
The first time the cannon was fired, the propane operated cannon shattered windows in surrounding areas of the stadium.
Built in 1904 and originally used as a World War I training weapon, the cannon became a fixture at U football games in 1968 when it replaced a tank that traveled down from Fort Douglas for every game, a tradition that began in the early 1940s.
The cannon is owned and controlled by the Army ROTC, and “we’re the only ones allowed to fire it,” according to Bouchard.
Army ROTC cadets volunteer to fire the cannon at games, then go through a brief training program before taking turns operating the gun at games.
“It’s a big honor for them [the cadets], and it’s critical to time when the cannon goes off,” Bouchard said.
Cadets have only seconds to fire the cannon after the U scores. If the cannon is fired when play resumes, referees penalize the football team for the distraction.
The Ute Thunder Blast, a fundraiser, will occur May 2 in front of the Union from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Blast will include, among other things, a climbing wall, a makeshift firing range and a barbecue. Bouchard also hopes repairs will be far enough along to be able to fire a few volleys.
“I’d love it if anybody affiliated with the football team gave me a call and asked to help out,” Bouchard said. “We’re taking any opportunity we can, and if anybody wants to volunteer to help or donate funds, God bless them.”