UC 's Homecoming celebration coming Oct. 6

The University of Cincinnati’s annual Homecoming celebration returns to the Uptown Campus on Saturday, Oct. 6. A full weekend of festivities will be headlined by UC’s football game against Tulane University in Nippert Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for noon. Game tickets are still available at gobearcats.com/tickets. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

All the pageantry of Homecoming will be on full display, with the Homecoming parade as a traditional focal point. The parade will travel down Clifton Avenue beginning at 8 a.m., featuring more than 70 entries and generations of Bearcats lining the parade route. Get complete parade route and street-closing details. Student-built floats will reflect the theme “Stand First and Last for Old UC.”

While the UC-Tulane game is the centerpiece of the Homecoming schedule, a full slate of activities over the weekend will provide students, alumni and college groups with many opportunities to enjoy the occasion.

On Friday night, Oct. 5, the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association will host its annual Homecoming Kickoff Party from 6 to 9 p.m. This year’s event will take place at the U Square Piazza at the corner of Calhoun and S. Market streets. Bearcats Head Coach Luke Fickell, Director of Athletics Mike Bohn and other UC leaders will speak and greet the fans. The event will include complimentary food samples from Skyline Chili and Bibibop Asian Grill (while supplies last), free coffee from Rooted Grounds, and free water and soft drinks, with beer available for purchase. Music will be provided by The Whammies, with special appearances by the Bearcat mascot, UC cheerleaders and UC dance team.

On Saturday, pregame festivities will take place all around campus and the surrounding neighborhood, with two principal hubs of activity:

• The UC Alumni Association and the UC Bicentennial will co-host the Homecoming Tailgate Party on McMicken Commons (between McMicken Hall and Tangeman University Center) beginning immediately after the Homecoming parade. Open to all alumni, family and friends and featuring big-screen TVs streaming ESPN’s College GameDay, the tailgate includes Bicentennial giveaways, complimentary donuts, coffee and hot chocolate (while supplies last), plus food trucks and select drinks for purchase.
  
  
• The Grid tailgate area on Campus Green and Sigma Sigma Commons will open at 8 a.m., with the pregame Bearcats Music Festival featuring the band Pandora Effect. The football team’s traditional Catwalk will pass through The Grid at approximately 9:30 a.m.
   

“Each year, Homecoming draws the UC family together to celebrate our university and why it’s so important in our lives,” said UC Alumni Association executive director Jennifer Heisey, A&S ’97. “This year we have the unique bonus of launching our yearlong Bicentennial festivities on this special weekend as well. There is no better way to get this historic celebration underway than by joining thousands of alumni and fans at Homecoming while ‘standing first and last for old UC.’”

HOMECOMING MAIN EVENTS

A full list of events, including numerous college alumni tailgates and events on Friday and Saturday, is available on the UC Homecoming website.

Thursday, October 4

Baseball: UC vs. Xavier

6 p.m., Marge Schott Stadium

Friday, October 5

Homecoming Kickoff Party

6-9 p.m., U Square Piazza, Calhoun St. at S. Market St.

Featuring special appearances by UC leaders including Football Coach Luke Fickell and Athletics Director Mike Bohn

Saturday, October 6

Homecoming Parade

8 a.m., Parade travels down Clifton Avenue from Calhoun St. to Martin Luther King Drive

Homecoming Pregame Tailgate Party

Immediately following the Parade, McMicken Commons

Football Team’s CATWALK to Nippert Stadium

Approximately 9:30 a.m., starting in Campus Green and traveling through The Grid and Sigma Sigma Commons

UC vs. Tulane

Noon, Nippert Stadium

Buy tickets online

Presentation of Homecoming Court

Halftime, Nippert Stadium

Sunday, Oct. 7

Bearcat Dash & Bash Road Race (18.19K and 5K)

UC Campus

Get details and register

All Weekend

The UC African American Alumni Affiliate (4A) invites to you RECONNECT with your classmates, current students, and alma mater for Homecoming 2018. Details

The UC Alumni Band hosts a variety of activities on Friday and Saturday. Details.

The UC Campus Recreation Center is offering a discounted membership to all alumni in recognition of UC’s Bicentennial, and free access to alumni and their families during Homecoming Weekend. Details.

Alumni and fans are encouraged to download the UC app (search “UC Mobile App”), which includes new UC Bicentennial-related content debuting Homecoming Weekend.

Nationwide is the Premier Sponsor of Homecoming. Other sponsors include College Advantage and Skyline Chili.

For more information about all things Homecoming, visit the UC Alumni Association’s Homecoming website.