Full Lineup of Events Planned for UT Homecoming 2016

In Tampa, where temperatures stay warm and leaves stay green almost year-round, signs of fall can be hard to spot. Besides the appearance of pumpkin spice–flavored everything, another sure sign that fall has arrived is The University of Tampa’s annual homecoming.

From Oct. 14–15, the University will welcome back alumni with a full lineup of events, open to all UT alumni and students.

Festivities will get underway on Friday, Oct. 14, with a President’s Reception at 6 p.m. on the East Verandah of Plant Hall, which includes complimentary cocktails and appetizers. Later that night, the Rathskellar will reopen as a bar for one night only at 8 p.m., offering complimentary beer, wine and snacks with RSVP.

On Saturday, Oct. 15, the class of 1966 will be inducted into the Golden Spartans Society, which includes alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago, during a lunch at noon in the Vaughn Center Crescent Club. The University will host a reception for the class of 1966 in the Vaughn Center President’s Conference Room prior to the lunch at 11 a.m.

Also on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the University is hosting a Fall Festival on the Sykes College of Business lawn and Vaughn Center Courtyard. Open to all UT alumni, faculty, staff and students, the festival will include carnival rides and games, as well as delicious food options, from corn dogs to cotton candy. Special guests at the festival will be the classes of 1991, 1996 and 2006.

At 6 p.m., there will be a homecoming tailgate at Pepin Rood Stadium before the 7 p.m. men’s soccer game against Barry University.

Rounding out the activities on Saturday, Phi Delta Theta will host an Alumni Social from 8–10 p.m. in Plant Hall. Tickets, which are for presale only, not at the door, are $10 per person and include beer, wine and snacks.

For students, festivities begin on Wednesday, Oct. 12, with UT’s Got Talent at 8 p.m. in Reeves Theater. In addition to the tailgate on Friday and fall festival on Saturday, student events include a Casino Night on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m. in the Vaughn Center lobby, and a Throwback Time Machine dance party on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. in the Vaughn Center lobby.

For a complete schedule of alumni homecoming events, go to alumni.ut.edu/?HC, or contact Jay Hardwick at jhardwick@ut.edu or (813) 253-6209. For more information on student homecoming events, contact Ellen Howard, coordinator of student engagement, at ehoward@ut.edu or (813) 257-3611.

As part of homecoming week, the UT Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2016 will be inducted at a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 13. This invitation-only event is scheduled for 6–8 p.m. in the Vaughn Center. For a full list of inductees, go to http://tampaspartans.com/general/2016-17/releases/20160629lo9c7q.