Reunions, Return to Campus Highlight UC s Homecoming Celebration

After a year when the Nippert Stadium renovation took Bearcats football downtown,

the University of Cincinnati’s annual Homecoming celebration returns to the Uptown Campus on Saturday, Oct. 24

. A full weekend of festivities will be anchored by UC’s game against the University of Connecticut in the expanded Nippert Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Game tickets are still available at

www.gobearcats.com/tickets

.

“The ’Cats Are Back in Town” is this year’s theme, which refers not only to the football team but also the tens of thousands of alumni, family and friends who will visit campus to celebrate their UC heritage and connections. The Homecoming parade will begin its traditional trek down Clifton Avenue at 12:30 p.m., featuring 12 floats, four marching bands, and generations of Bearcats lining the parade route down Clifton Avenue. (Streets near campus will begin closing at 11:30 a.m., starting with Calhoun Street;

get complete parade route and street-closing details

.)

This year’s

parade grand marshal is Robert E. Richardson Jr.

, the vice chair of the UC Board of Trustees. Richardson, a two-time graduate of the university with degrees in electrical engineering and law, serves as Of Counsel with the law firm of Branstetter, Stranch and Jennings, PLLC. He also hosts a weekly radio show, “Real Talk with Rob Richardson,” on 1230 AM The Buzz of Cincinnati.

While the UC-UConn football game grabs much of the attention, there’s a full slate of Homecoming activities over the weekend. Many student, alumni and college groups will enjoy a warm welcome back to campus, with the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center serving as a hub.

On Friday night, Oct. 23, the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association will host its annual Homecoming Kickoff Party from 6-8 p.m. The free event will include entertainment, complementary “Cincinnati favorites” food for all, and visits from UC Football Coach Tommy Tuberville and the Bearcat mascot. On Saturday immediately following the start of the parade, the Myers Alumni Center will be the site of the Bearcats Blitz indoor/outdoor tailgate beginning five hours prior to kickoff.

“This is essentially our biggest holiday of the year,” says Jennifer Heisey, A&S ’97, UC Alumni Association executive director. “We’ll have thousands of members of the UC Family on hand to reconnect with the people and places that are special to them, and to celebrate all the ways UC has made a difference in their lives. The campus is beautiful, our Bearcat bonds are strong, the team is back in Nippert, and it all comes together at Homecoming.”

HOMECOMING MAIN EVENTS

A

full list of events

, including a busy schedule of student activities the week of Oct. 19 plus numerous college alumni tailgates and events on Friday and Saturday, is available on the

UC Homecoming website

.

Tuesday, Oct. 20

• UC Blue Ash Pep Rally
  12:30-1:50 p.m.
  More details about the UCBA Pep Rally
  

Wednesday, Oct. 21

• UC Clermont College Pep Rally
  Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22

• Marian Spencer Book Signing
  11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., African American Cultural & Resource Center
  “Keep On Fighting: The Life and Civil Rights Legacy of Marian A. Spencer,” the biography of one of UC’s most illustrious alumni; more details about the book signing

Friday, Oct. 23

• Student Pep Rally
  Noon to 1 p.m., TUC Plaza
  
  
• Battle for the Bat
  3-5 p.m., Marge Schott Stadium
  Students vs. Faculty/Administration Softball Game; more details about the game
  
  
• 4A Homecoming Happy Hour
  4-8 p.m., Myrtle’s Punch House
  The UC African American Alumni Affiliate will host numerous events during Homecoming Week; more details about the 4A happy hour
  
  
• Homecoming Kickoff Party
  6-8 p.m., Myers Alumni Center
  Featuring food, drink, entertainment, and appearances by Coach Tommy Tuberville and the Bearcat; register for the kickoff party
  

Saturday, Oct. 24

• Bearcats Blitz Indoor/Outdoor Tailgate
  11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Myers Alumni Center
  
  
• Homecoming Parade
  12:30 p.m.
  Parade travels down Clifton Avenue
  
  
• Men’s Basketball Open Scrimmage
  1 p.m., Fifth Third Arena
  
  
• Football Team’s CATWALK
  Approximately 2 p.m., outside Myers Alumni Center and through Sigma Sigma Commons
  
  
• UC vs. Connecticut
  4:30 p.m., Nippert Stadium
  Buy tickets online
  
  
• Presentation of Homecoming Court, Crowning of King and Queen
  Halftime, Nippert Stadium

All Weekend

• The Campus Recreation Center will offer free access to all alumni and their families during Homecoming Weekend; details about the Rec Center.
  

GEICO is the presenting sponsor of Homecoming. For more information about all things Homecoming, visit the

UC Alumni Association’s Homecoming website

.