44 Years Strong: ‘Granite State Challenge’ Continues to Inspire Generations

In an age of fast scrolling and shortened attention spans, there's a New Hampshire high school academic quiz show that has stood the test of time and proven that curiosity, competition, and a love of learning still have a powerful hold on young minds.

Now in its 44th season on New Hampshire PBS, "Granite State Challenge" continues to bring together some of New Hampshire's sharpest students for a friendly competition that's become a TV staple for Granite State audiences and a rite of passage for generations of teenagers whose quick thinking and deep knowledge are rewarded.

Nearly 7,000 students have appeared on the show since it premiered.

Greg Jolin is among them.

"It's amazing. This is New Hampshire's own little thing," said Jolin, who competed when he was a senior at Central High School in Manchester in 2003 and later went on to become a champion on the classic TV game show "Jeopardy!"

The 41-year-old Jolin, who lives in Candia, N.H., won five consecutive games during his "Jeopardy!" appearance in 2025.

Alumni like Jolin often look back on their time on the show as transformative, recalling not only the thrill of competition, but building friendships and confidence as well.

Unitil, a provider of electricity and natural gas to customers in New England, has been a lead sponsor of the popular quiz show for many years.

"We're always amazed by the extraordinary talent that we see among the students who compete on this iconic show year after year. It's exciting to see that 'Granite State Challenge' continues to inspire youthful curiosity four decades later. We feel it's important to showcase these remarkable young people and Unitil is proud to be a long-time supporter of the show," said Unitil External Affairs Manager Amanda Vicinanzo.

"Granite State Challenge" requires players to demonstrate quick reflexes and factual recall in all major disciplines - math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts. The teams are also questioned about current events, entertainment, sports, and topics specific to New Hampshire.

"Being on 'Granite State Challenge' comes with real bragging rights. In New Hampshire, just about everyone knows someone who's been on it, or has been on it themselves," said Peter Frid, New Hampshire PBS President and CEO. "We're incredibly proud to produce 'Granite State Challenge,' and it remains a cornerstone of the station and a tradition that's been inspiring high school students for generations."

The first host was Massachusetts native and TV personality Tom Bergeron, who worked on the show for one year. Jim Jeannotte took over hosting during the show's second season, but when he retired after 35 seasons, current host Jon Cannon offered to try his hand at running the show.

He remembers competing when he was a junior at Belmont High School in the mid-1990s.

"We won a game, then we lost a game and we were out. Two and done," recalled Cannon, who's a social studies teacher at Bow High School.

When he later attended UNH, Cannon contacted New Hampshire PBS his freshman year to see if there were any jobs available.

"My schedule and their schedule didn't work out, but sophomore year I joined the crew and worked on 'Granite State Challenge' as a cameraman and then spent two years doing the floor director's job. Then I went off to be a working man, and then years later put together a team at Bedford High School and coached the team," he said.

For those with close ties like Cannon, "Granite State Challenge" feels like coming home to something familiar.

"For me, there's a piece of this that's nostalgic because I grew up watching 'Granite State Challenge,' and of course I was on it and worked here, so it feels like coming home to me, but also, I love trivia. I love the competition part of it. I love everything about 'Granite State Challenge' and I think what I bring to the show is sort of that love for all parts of it," he said.

Cannon also understands the importance of providing an outlet to highlight New Hampshire's best and brightest students.

"In the information age where all of the knowledge in the world is at our fingertips, we don't always place a value on just knowing things and I think there's something to be said for how impressive it is to see these kids and what they know," he said.

Rob Fagnant is in his ninth season as director of "Granite State Challenge." He was a contestant from Woodsville High School in 1992 and 1994.

"It's kind of been an arc. I started off as a contestant. I was an alternate my sophomore year and then I was the captain my senior year of high school. I went to UNH. I was an intern here. I worked on 'Granite State Challenge' as an intern. I started off as a camera operator and then I was an assistant director. There's definitely nostalgia and I feel really old, especially on those pop culture questions," he said.

For Fagnant, the show is an opportunity for him to relive his youth. He looks forward to directing each season, describing the experience as the "highlight" of his year.

"I think it's great to have a venue for smart kids to thrive. One thing I've really noticed is, there's a lot of camaraderie between the different teams. They go head to head, but they're out in the atrium together. In some ways in this world where there's so much conflict, it's nice sometimes to see friendly rivalry and good-spirited competition between rivals," he said.

Coaches like Merrimack High School chemistry teacher Dr. Sara Campbell have seen the connections made by the students and their commitment to the game first-hand. Merrimack is the only school to win five championships in the game's 44-year history, taking home the title in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

"In terms of Merrimack's success, it stems from the students' dedication to the program over the last several seasons. I had a really special group of kids who started playing together in 2018, made it to the semi-finals, made it to the semi-finals again the following year. They really wanted to win, so they put in incredible amounts of time to practice and really make sure they were prepared. They left an incredible legacy of dedication and hard work that students in the next several years were eager to match," she said.

Campbell said students love competing on the show.

"It's a chance for them to show off what they know, and to get praise and respect for their intelligence. It's a different avenue for their competitive spirits to feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments. I still remember my time on the show two decades ago, and look back on what I was able to do fondly," she said. "The main thing that I want all students to take away from the experience, aside from some great memories, is the knowledge that who they are and things that they care about matter. That random piece of knowledge you learned off the back of a cereal box? May come in handy some day. That book report that you wrote in the fifth grade? That information can serve a purpose. That hard work and dedication are worthwhile in the pursuit of a goal."

Campbell continues to encourage new generations to participate in the tradition.

"Merrimack's place in 'Granite State Challenge' history is something that fills me with great pride. I know from experience how hard it is to win once, but the fact that we have been able to have such sustained success, winning five championships in six years, is really something special. It is a testament to the willingness of the students to put in the hard work year after year. Very few of these kids have been on the buzzer for multiple championships, it's been almost a completely new front four every time. That kind of commitment, handed down to a new group year after year, has been incredibly rewarding for me as a coach," she said.

Jolin, the "Jeopardy!" star, never made it to the championship when he participated in "Granite State Challenge," but it was still a memorable high school experience and it was the first time he had ever competed in a televised trivia game.

He said he feels that in some ways, that experience helped prepare him for his appearance on "Jeopardy!" years later.

"I'm sure it helped a little, even if it was just New Hampshire Public Television. You go up on the stage and you don't know how you're going to react. It is such a different level. Once I got a question right I was just locked in and was like, 'OK, I'm just playing a game and it's supposed to be fun. Regardless of what's at stake, you should enjoy doing it," he said.

For more information on "Granite State Challenge," visit nhpbs.org/gsc.

Photo Captions:

• Teaser Image: "Granite State Challenge" host Jon Cannon chats with students on the team from Fall Mountain Regional High School during the first game of the 44th season, which began airing in February on New Hampshire PBS. (Photo credit: Mark Bolton Photography)
• Top Image: Teams from Fall Mountain Regional High School and Nashua High School South compete in the first game of the 44th season of "Granite State Challenge," which began airing in February on New Hampshire PBS. (Photo credit: Mark Bolton Photography)
• Bottom Image: Fall Mountain Regional High School team captain Ben Weightman, left, shakes hands with Henry Long, the captain for Nashua High School South's team, during the first game of the new season of "Granite State Challenge." (Photo credit: Mark Bolton Photography)