Homecoming traditions 80 years in the making

For more than 80 years, Utah State University students, faculty and alumni have celebrated traditions and school spirit with Homecoming activities.

The completion of the original Romney Stadium paved the way for Utah State’s first Homecoming game on Oct. 11, 1930, according to usu.edu. The Alumni Association, with other organizations, helped plan the celebration. The organization contributes to the campus-wide effort to recreate Homecoming Week every year.

Scott Olson, director of outreach and engagement for the Alumni Association, described Homecoming Week as a great opportunity for alumni to come back to USU for memories and tradition. Even as a student, Olson participated in the parade with the association.

“As a student, I was able to see other alumni coming back to campus,” Olson said. “I was able to see how to be a good alumnus in supporting your university and coming back for Homecoming.”

Alumn Carlos Smith graduated from USU in 1957 with a degree in business and marketing. He said he remembers the excitement of Homecoming Week.

“At that time, the parade was a really big deal,” Smith said. “The fraternities and sororities were really big on campus, and they would go all out and make these major floats.”

Olson said the Homecoming Parade on Main Street is “one of the longest Homecoming traditions” of the university.

Smith was in a fraternity his senior year when their float won an award, he said. The fraternities and sororities were heavily involved in Homecoming Week, including decorating each of their houses, a continuing tradition today. Though Smith participated in Homecoming activities throughout his schooling, he said his senior year Homecoming Dance was the most memorable.

“I remember my senior year really well because I was going with a girl quite a bit,” Smith said. “Someone came up to me over on the tennis courts one day and said, ‘Don’t bother asking her to the Homecoming Dance because I already have her student card, and I’m taking her.'” Smith apparently came out on top, as he eventually married the same girl.

Olson said he met well-known alumni as a student during Homecoming Week.

“It was kind of cool because some of them were names that I had heard, ” Olson said. “I had heard of these people and here they are at Homecoming. They weren’t celebrities or anything, but they were just names that I had heard, trustees of the university or other well-known alumni, and they were coming back to campus.”

Brandon Taylor, director of marketing alumni relations, is also a Utah State alum. Though Taylor didn’t participate in many Homecoming activities as a student, he said he remembers his first game at USU.

“It was fun to go to; I enjoyed it as a student,” Taylor said. “I don’t even remember whether we won or lost, but the experience was fun because there was a lot of hype and excitement around campus.”

For Olson, the newer traditions of Homecoming have “a different feel.”

“Way back when I was a student, they had a pre-game party,” Olson said. “It was called the ‘Feast and ‘Feat,’ like defeat. That was kind of a traditional event to go to the ‘Feast and ‘Feat,’ and it was held in the Fieldhouse. Hundreds of people, the marching band playing, and just a lot of excitement. We don’t do that kind of thing anymore, but we still have a pre-game party.”

Olson said he sees alumni returning not only for organized reunions, but also for their own family traditions. Homecoming brings past students back due to the numerous events surrounding one game, he said.

“To me, it means a lot because it says that they are connected to Utah State,” Olson said. “They’re interested in what’s going on on campus, they enjoyed their student years and they kind of want to come back and not relive them but revisit them. Come back to campus and come back home, that’s really what it is. That’s what Homecoming’s all about: to come back and see what’s changed and see what the current students are doing and their energy and excitement now.”

That’s part of the fun for Smith, a Cache Valley native.

“I grew up ten miles from the university, and then went to Utah State,” he said. “I love to come back to Cache Valley for Homecoming because it has a lot of memories, and generally we win the game, too.”

While making it a priority to help alums connect with campus, the Alumni Association is also directly connected to organizing the events of Homecoming Week.

“As an alumni office, we’re responsible for Homecoming,” Taylor said.

The association hosts a 5K the Friday of Homecoming Week and a breakfast honoring alumni. Though Homecoming Week involves a lot of work for many groups on campus, Taylor said he sees the perks of his involvement.

“The day of … is really exciting,” Taylor said. “It makes for a long day, but it’s a lot of fun to see peoples’ excitement and know that you were involved in putting something together that really brought a lot of joy and entertainment to people and help bring them back to campus.”

Homecoming Week activities begin Monday, the week wrapping up with the Homecoming Game versus Air Force Saturday night.

“It’s a good opportunity to reconnect people with campus, with their university,” Olson said.

— sadiejherrera@aggiemail.usu.edu