UT will celebrate Homecoming with an in-state football match-up against the UT Chattanooga Mocs at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, in Neyland Stadium.
This year’s Homecoming theme is “Tennessee Traditions.”
The university will host a variety of activities filled with traditions for students, alumni, and fans to enjoy leading up to the game. The events take place from October 5 through 12 and are presented by the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, the Center for Student Engagement, and various other offices and departments across campus.
The annual Homecoming parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 10. The parade will begin at Fiji Island beside Fraternity Park and will travel east on Volunteer Boulevard.
Del Bryant of the House of Bryant will serve as this year’s parade grand marshal. Bryant’s parents, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, wrote and published “Rocky Top.”
The parade will showcase student organizations’ floats and the fifth annual Little Vol Walk featuring children ages ten and younger riding on decorated wagons, strollers, or tricycles.
Immediately following the parade, attendees can enjoy a bonfire and pep rally on Fiji Island sponsored by UT’s Student Government Association, All Campus Events, and the Division of Student Life. The event will feature the final round of the Smokey’s Howl competition, games, appearances, food, a live concert, and fireworks.
On Saturday, Homecoming’s signature event, Party in the Park, will begin at 1:00 p.m. in Circle Park. Attendees can enjoy live entertainment, giveaways, games, cheers by the pep band and cheerleaders, and interactive activities. The cost is $12 per adult and $8 for children ages ten and under to eat.
Student organizations also will have a spot to tailgate during the second annual Celebrate UT! Homecoming Tailgate. The groups will set up decorated tents for current members and alumni on the Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Walkway beginning at 10:00 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for the best all-around tailgate and best decorations.
Other highlights during the week include:
Homecoming Day of Service
Students will participate in variety of service projects around the Knoxville community ranging from cleaning to gardening to interacting with local youth, during UT’s first-ever Homecoming Day of Service. The event takes place from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Black Alumni Reunion Weekend
Weekend events will include the African-American Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, a tailgate at the Black Cultural Center, and the fifteenth annual Southeastern Stomp Fest. View a full schedule of Black Alumni Weekend events online.
LGBTQ Alumni Weekend
UT’s OUTreach Center will offer its first Homecoming dinner for LGBTQ alumni, faculty, staff, current student leaders, and allies at 7:00 p.m. Friday in the Carolyn P. Brown University Center Executive Dining Room. On Saturday, the center will host a Home(coming out) Day Tailgate as a part of “National Coming Out Day” beginning at 1:00 p.m. on the Pedestrian Walkway.
Fred D. Brown Jr. Residence Hall Dedication and Tour
Celebrate the dedication of UT’s most advanced residence hall in history and the first new residence hall in forty-five years. The dedication will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Fred D. Brown Jr. Residence Hall.
Little Vols at the Ballpark
Children ten years old and younger can enjoy snacks, activities, and crafts along with a special visit from Smokey Junior during Little Vols at the Ballpark. The event is from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Friday at the Lindsey Nelson Stadium Playground.
College Tailgates
The College of Nursing, College of Law, College of Engineering, and James A. Haslam II College of Business will host tailgates beginning at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
Pregame Faculty Showcase
Dorothy Habel, professor of art, will look to the past to share insight into real estate financing, the bond market, and urban ownership during her talk “Bashing and Building: Financing Urban Redevelopment in Seventeenth-Century Rome.” Free and open to the public, the showcase begins at 2:00 p.m. Saturday in the University Center Ballroom.
For a full schedule of more than forty events taking place during Homecoming Week, visit homecoming.utk.edu.
For Office of Alumni and Development Homecoming events, visit the website.
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C O N T A C T:
Katherine Saxon (865-974-8365, ksaxon@utk.edu)