2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend Recap

The 2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend was a week filled with blue and gold pride, traditions and unforgettable memories, as thousands of alumni, students, families and friends gathered to celebrate UA and enjoy the festivities of Zippy's Oktoberfest.

Nearly 1,500 students kicked off Homecoming Week by picking up their Homecoming t-shirts, painting pumpkins, roasting marshmallows and cheering alongside Ohio's Pride Marching Band at events such as the Kick-Off celebration, Pumpkin Patch, Cookout on Coleman Common and the Pop-Up Pep Rally. These events were made possible through the support of the UA Alumni Association, Campus Programs, the Department of Student Life and ZAB.

The excitement continued on Friday, October 4, when College of Business alumni and students gathered to reconnect before cheering on the Men's Soccer team to a victory against Xavier. Later that evening, the Varsity "A" Hall of Fame inducted nine former athletes, one distinguished team and two award winners during a reception attended by over 300 guests.

Ohio's Pride, UA's marching band, welcomed back 140 alumni, who enjoyed a weekend full of activities, beginning with a Friday evening reception at The Lockview in Downtown Akron.

Family Weekend, sponsored by ZipAssist, saw more than 300 families-representing nearly 1,200 people from 18 states-participating in various events throughout the weekend. A crowd favorite, t-shirt tie-dyeing, was a huge hit, with 142 families taking part.

Saturday and Sunday were action-packed for our student-athletes. Events included the Women's Swimming and Diving Alumni Invitational, the Men's Basketball Open Practice and tailgates for Men's and Women's Track and Field, as well as Women's Swimming and Diving. The Homecoming Football Game against Bowling Green and the Women's Soccer game on Sunday added to the thrilling weekend, bringing our community together to celebrate UA athletics and welcome back alumni.

The festivities reached a high point at Zippy's Oktoberfest tailgate, hosted by the UA Alumni Association. Thousands of alumni, students, families and friends enjoyed the sunny weather, Oktoberfest-themed food and drinks, inflatables, games and live music from Akron's own "best local band," Roxxymoron.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We can't wait to celebrate with you again next year!