Homecoming Website | Homecoming History | #ILLINOIShomecoming
Begun in 1910 and the longest-running tradition of its kind, the return of alumni to Alma Mater for a weekend of football, fun and memories has flourished over the decades, embodying the essence of the Illini spirit while remaking itself to suit the changing times.
University of Illinois Homecoming 2017 takes place on the week of Oct. 22-28. For information on the 107th Illinois Homecoming, including a complete schedule of events, visit the official Illinois Homecoming website.
HOMECOMING GAME LINKS | Illinois vs. Wisconsin | Saturday at 11 am CT
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ILLINOIS HOMECOMING FACTS
• The first homecoming celebrated on Illinois' campus was on Oct. 15, 1910, which the Illini won 3-0 over Chicago. This year's game against Wisconsin marks the 107th #ILLINOIShomecoming.
• Illinois has an all-time record of 45-59-2 on Homecoming, with its last victory coming against Minnesota in 2014.
• This year marks the 12th time overall and the second time in the last three years that the Illini will host Wisconsin on Homecoming. Illinois is 8-3 all-time in Homecoming games against the Badgers.
• Illinois boasts being one of the first universities to celebrate Homecoming, a tradition on almost every college campus. It was conceived in 1909 by students C.F. Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident senior society. They joined with another society, Phoenix, to organize the three-day event.
• For years, there has been a debate over which university had the first homecoming. Historians from various schools found research that puts Illinois among one of the first five universities to celebrate the Homecoming tradition. Baylor has documented proof of a formally named Homecoming celebration in 1909, but took a six-year hiatus before celebrating the second event at the school in 1915. Northern Illinois had alumni events beginning in 1906, but didn't use the proper noun "Homecoming" until 1911. Indiana University renamed their 1909 Gala Day to Homecoming on Nov. 5, 1910, and Michigan began inviting alumni back to campus in 1897, but the formal name began on the Ann Arbor campus in 1916.
HONORING THE GALLOPING GHOST
• For the fourth straight Homecoming game, the Fighting Illini will honor Hall of Famer Harold "Red" Grange, the Galloping Ghost, by wearing special "Gray Ghost" alternate uniforms against the Badgers.
• The uniforms debuted at Homecoming 2014 on the 90th anniversary of Grange's historic Homecoming performance against Michigan in the Memorial Stadium dedication game on Oct. 18, 1924. In that game, Grange scored four touchdowns and racked up 262 total yards in the first 12 minutes, then ran for a fifth touchdown and threw for a sixth to lead the Illini to a 39-14 victory in what many consider the greatest single-game performance in college football history.
• The first 5,000 fans to Saturday's game will get a 77 Gray Ghost pint glass to help commemorate Grange's historic Homecoming performance.
2017 HOMECOMING COMEBACK GUESTS
Illini Comeback, a program that began in 1980, honors prominent and accomplished alumni. The guests are invited to return to campus and interact with students, staff and faculty through formal programs, classroom visits and social activities held at Homecoming. The program is coordinated by the Student Alumni Ambassadors and sponsored by the UI Alumni Association.
This year's Comeback Guests are:
Brandon Lloyd (Football '99-'02 – Parade Marshal)
John Volk (ACES '67 – Lou Liay Spirit Award)
Thomas F. Larwin (ENG '65– Comeback Guest)
Emily S. Gardner (BUS '05, AHS '05 – Comeback Guest)
Robert P. Gaynes (LAS '75 – Comeback Guest)
