U of M to celebrate 103rd Homecoming Week

Since 1914, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has celebrated Homecoming, a week dedicated to honoring the spirit of the maroon and gold. 103 years later, it remains true that “Tradition never graduates,” the official tagline of the 2017 festivities.

Media are welcome to attend #UMNHC events. Some media-friendly highlights during Homecoming Week include:

Monday, October 16

Party on the Plaza: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Coffman Memorial Union, Front Plaza. Students celebrate the start of Homecoming with a Golden Gopher Pep Fest. The event will include free food while supplies last, prizes and tailgate activities. Gopher Head Football Coach P.J. Fleck and Women's Gymnastics Coach Jenny Hansen will also be at the event.

Wednesday, October 18

Flag Football Finals: 6:30 p.m., TCF Bank Stadium. Semifinals and Championships will be hosted at TCF Bank Stadium. Co-Rec teams only will compete in four separate divisions: Fraternity and Sorority Life, Housing and Residential Life, General Student and Unified Sports (with Special Olympics Minnesota).

Thursday, October 19

Corn Roast: 2–5 p.m. St. Paul Campus Mall. The St. Paul Corn Roast features food and entertainment for all. Guests can enjoy hot, fresh corn on the cob, yard games and more.

Lip Sync Competition: 7 p.m. Coffman Memorial Union, Front Plaza. Students will compete on stage in a lip sync competition by demonstrating their dancing and singing, or fake singing, skills.

Friday, October 20

A Conversation with Matthew Desmond: 1 p.m. Northrop.  Dean Connie White Delaney of the School of Nursing invites guests to attend a conversation with Matthew Desmond, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. Tickets found here.

Homecoming Parade: 6:30 p.m. University Avenue. Created to encourage school spirit, the Homecoming Parade promotes unity among students, staff, faculty, alumni and the surrounding community. Dave and Linda Mona, who each served a term as chair of the UMAA Board of Directors and are the only husband/wife duo to do so, will serve as Grand Marshals. Watch the parade between 12th Avenue Southeast and Walnut Street Southeast or in the Family Activity Area (at the Donhowe Building parking lot on University, just west of 15th Avenue Southeast), which will feature on-site restrooms, free face painting, coloring activities, games and giveaways beginning at 6 p.m.

Homecoming Concert: TCF Bank Stadium. The 2017 Homecoming Concert features performances by Ty Dolla $ign, Tinashe and Coin. Doors open at 7 p.m., concert begins at 7:45 p.m. $25 U of M Twin Cities student; $45 general public. Tickets are now available.

Saturday, October 21

Ski-U-Mania: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. McNamara Alumni Center. Join alumni, fans and students before the Homecoming football game for a party featuring food from D'Amico, crowning of the Homecoming Royalty, Goldy, the Spirit Squad and more.

Homecoming Football Game: 2:30 p.m. TCF Bank Stadium. Cheer on the Gophers as they gear up to defeat the Illinois Fighting Illini. The contest will be Minnesota's 97th Homecoming game and 11th against University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Tickets are on sale now.

Find a full schedule of the 2017 Homecoming events at homecoming.umn.edu.