The University of Southern Mississippi will be hosting its 2017 Homecoming festivities Monday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct. 14, which will include events both on campus and throughout Hattiesburg.
During the week of Monday, Oct. 9, events are scheduled for the student body, such as the traditional Fountain Sit at 1 p.m. Friday in Shoemaker Square.
During the following Friday and Saturday, the Alumni Association and numerous USM organizations will be hosting events. At 8:30 a.m., the nineteenth annual Homecoming golf tournament will be at the Hattiesburg Country Club, with a cost of $150 per person. All the proceeds for this event will go toward scholarships for children and grandchildren of USM alumni. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be a luncheon at Mugshots with Head Football Coach Jay Hopson. The Dixie Darlings will have alumnae registration and practice at St. Thomas Catholic Church beginning at 1 p.m. Later, in the Thad Cochran Center, the Dixie Darlings will host an alumnae reunion dinner from 7-9 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., the Alumni Association will host the Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony in the Thad Cochran Center. At 7 p.m., the Southern Miss Activities Council will host Friday night at the Fountain at Centennial Green, which will include the homecoming court, football team, cheerleaders, Dixie Darlings and Seymour
Kicking off Saturday’s homecoming festivities will be the 22nd annual Homecoming 5K Eagle Run at 8:30 a.m., hosted by the Athletic Training Club and School of Kinesiology. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. The 75th annual Homecoming parade will begin at 11:30 a.m., featuring USM’s The Pride marching band, the Dixie Darlings, current and former athletes, politicians and members of the student body. Parade participants must register with the Student Government Association. More information about the parade can be found at USM’s Homecoming website.
At noon, the Alumni Association will host the alumni awards lunch in the Thad Cochran Center for $20 a person. In Stout Hall, the Dixie Darlings will reveal their 2017 scholarship recipient at 1 p.m., with an alumnae and current members’ group picture at 2:30 p.m. in College Hall. Also at 2:30 p.m. will be Jr. Eagle Funland, which is free for Seymour’s Sidekicks members and $5 for non-members.
Tailgating, an important tradition for USM football games, will be at The District, Pride Field, the Centennial Green and Danforth Chapel Lawn. The College of Nursing will tailgate at Bennett Auditorium at 2 p.m. and the Honors College at its building from 3:30-5:30 p.m.
The traditional Eagle Walk will start at 4 p.m. beginning at West Memorial Drive. USM’s President Tony Bennett will lead the Pride, the cheerleaders, Seymour and the Homecoming Court to the locker room, followed by WUSM’s concert series featuring The Devil Music Co. at the Centennial Green at 4:15 p.m.
Homecoming kick-off is set for 6 p.m. against Conference USA rival UTEP at The Rock. The Homecoming Court and Alumni Hall of Fame will be featured at halftime. Contact the ticket office at 800-844-8425 or SouthernMissTickets.com for additional information and tickets.
For more information about the Dixie Darling schedule or events hosted by the Alumni Association, contact Melissa Lyman at [email protected] for Dixie Darlings, and Rene’ Trigg at 601-266-5691 or [email protected] for alumni events.
