East Tennessee State University’s homecoming is not like many other universities’ homecomings because it is not centered around a football game. It is still, however, steeped in many long-standing traditions that celebrate the richness of the university.
Homecoming here is founded on pride in the university, in the community and in the upcoming generations. ETSU homecoming is a time filled with charity work, competition and celebration for all students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community.
The well-cemented tradition of university homecomings premiered in the year 1911 as a way to entice University of Missouri alumni to “come home” to their alma mater for the big football game. That year 9,000 returned to support their university, attend the rally and watch the parade. University homecomings have spread nationwide and have since become accepted and personalized by most universities in the nation.
ETSU, along with most other universities, continues this tradition each fall semester. In 2004, however, ETSU played its final football game after 84 seasons. Consequently, the issue arose of whether ETSU should hold the homecoming celebration and if so, when.
“We thought about celebrating it with basketball,” said Dr. Wilsie Bishop, chief operating officer of ETSU. “But then there is a tendency to be bad weather. So if the game is canceled due to snow, then what do we do?”
Due to the inclement weather possibility, ETSU administration decided to hold homecoming festivities during the fall semester although the celebration is not held in conjunction with any particular sporting event. The decision to continue homecoming during the fall was also attributed to the beauty of the campus during the season.
Homecoming has always been a time for alumni to return to their alma mater as guests. The events leading up to the celebration have also been designated as opportunities for students to get involved by decorating the campus, organizing events and giving back to the community.
In her 30 years at ETSU, Bishop recounted memories of the many traditions during homecoming. For example, recently an e-mail has gone out, just as it has in past years to students and professors, announcing that professors of Monday, Oct. 22 classes from 11-11:50 a.m. should accommodate students who want to be present for the homecoming proclamation – the official beginning of festivities.
Bishop has also seen an array of celebration techniques that are not currently used by ETSU, ranging from jets flying overhead to marching bands. But Bishop says that the main reason for homecoming has remained unchanging throughout the years. “Homecoming is a time to celebrate the uniqueness of students of ETSU.”
Even though football has been eliminated from the homecoming lineup, there is still a lot of competition among student organizations.
Competitions during homecoming week include canned food creations, skit night, flag football, ultimate frisbee, a five-mile road race and many other activities. “Student organizations make banners that are hung around the campus for the alumni, and they’re judged” said Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Sally Lee. “Last year we had mud volley ball and that was really popular.”
Even though competition is still an element of homecoming, ETSU has transitioned from the once sports-centered celebration to a festival atmosphere with a greater focus on food and local music. “We are an area of festivals,” said Bishop. “The Apple, Blue Plum and Storytelling festivals are a big deal around here.”
This year’s homecoming theme is “Rewind, Remix, Relive,” and the festival event is the Buccaneer Bash. “The Buccaneer Bash came about when we stopped having a football game,” said Lee. “The bash was to still have something exciting happening on campus in the fall for alumni to come back to.”
On Saturday, Oct. 20, entertainment will be provided for attendees every hour of the day and evening. It wraps three major events into one day starting with an open house for prospective students, which will lead into homecoming events such as “Luncheon Under the Tent” and a performance by the Blue Highway band. The evening will end with a barbecue dinner and a musical comedy located at Mathes Hall.
This year’s homecoming headliner Blue Highway is a Grammy-nominated bluegrass band. The group has a special link to ETSU because guitarist and band organizer Tim Stafford is an ETSU alumnus and has taught classes in the growing bluegrass and country music degree program. The concert, which is a part of the Buccaneer Bash, will be held at 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 20. ?
ETSU homecoming, however, is not solely festive entertainment. Many of the events raise money to give back to the community. Historically, the Greek organized Charity Carnival has been a popular event, raising about $900 in the past.
Students and their families can buy tickets to play carnival-style games such as the dunking booth, throwing ping-pong balls to win a goldfish, popping balloons with darts and others. This year’s funds will go to the Habitat for Humanity.
The university Habitat for Humanity division is a branch of the Holston chapter out of Kingsport. The program raises funds to build houses for underprivileged families, but the houses are not free. The family first has to put 500 “sweat hours” into the building of their house or other Habitat for Humanity projects. The house is traditionally less expensive than others because there are no labor costs included. Along with the “sweat hours” and financial counseling, the family is provided with a 15 to 30 year interest-free mortgage plan.
“This program helps to unify students from all different parts of ETSU, whether they play sports, are in fraternities or are just students,” said Wyeth Lawson, student coordinator of Habitat for Humanity and ETSU. “It’s a campuswide ETSU program for students to get involved in.” Other charitable events include the VETSU Blood Drive, Up ‘Til Dawn letter writing and Canned Food Creations.
Jennifer Rice, assistant of the ACTS office, said that the Buccaneer Bash was named such in order to make all students feel welcomed and included. Formally the Buccaneer Bash was named the Family Fall Festival.
“It’s open to our current students, of course,” said Rice. “We also try to get our commuting students to come back – get them back to do things on the campus. It attracts our non-traditional students. Most of them are married and have their families and they have kids. So we have some kid activities. And this is a chance for those students to get their spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands involved.”
Many campus departments and organizations have created fun activities that are geared toward children. Such events include a telescope ‘eyes on the sky’ event that is presented by the physics department, a crime scene investigation for kids created by the criminal justice department and many more activities from the early childhood development department.
For many at ETSU, homecoming is a time to unite with family, return to a beloved alma mater and an opportunity to give back to the community that supports ETSU.
“For me, it’s for the university family,” said Beverly Leigh, graduate assistant to the Net. “In one way it is a family- this community. When I was growing up, we used to have block parties. All the families would get together and have a big cookout, and I equate it to that.”
Homecoming festivities start Thursday, Oct. 18, and continue through Friday, Oct. 26. The Buccaneer Bash will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20.

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