Gage Johnson
Editor-in-Chief
While a number of Murray State traditions have been affected by COVID-19, Homecoming will go on as typically scheduled in the fall during the 2021-22 Murray State football season.
Homecoming will take place October 22-24 with the Murray State Football team playing Austin Peay on Saturday, October 23.
Director of Alumni Relations Carrie McGinnis said each year they have to take into account the Racers’ football schedule along with scheduling Family Weekend in order to pick the correct date.
After considering all the options, it was decided upon to keep the event as traditional as possible by having it in October.
“An October Homecoming is tradition at Murray State,” McGinnis said. “Our campus is beautiful in the fall, and the weather is typically more suitable for outdoor events. Homecoming has been held in November a couple of times since its beginnings in the late 1930s, but the crisp fall air of October is optimal and provides a gorgeous backdrop for our alumni returning home to the finest place we know.”
Many details still need to be finalized before the fall, but the hope is to have the event like the University would every year as restrictions slowly become lifted and cases in the community have lowered gradually..
“We are still very early in the planning stages, but we are actively preparing for Homecoming 2021 to be in-person and as traditional as possible, while still in compliance with all Racer Safe and Healthy guidelines in place at that time,” McGinnis said. “We have several alumni groups making plans to celebrate reunions during Homecoming that were postponed last year due to the pandemic. We are sensing a tremendous amount of excitement from those already making plans to participate.”
At the moment, they are preparing for some virtual components of Homecoming in 2021, but are hoping to keep it as traditional as possible.
Homecoming was held virtually in 2020 because of the pandemic and McGinnis said they had an abundance of participation in multiple events last year.
“We had tremendous alumni participation in our virtual “Healthy at Homecoming” events last year, and it opened the celebration up to Racers all over the world who typically cannot make the trip back to campus,” McGinnis said. “Events like the Virtual 5K and Esports Tournament, for example, could provide a niche for a population of alumni worldwide who have not had the opportunity to engage with us during Homecomings of the past. COVID forced us to be flexible and creative, and we can take what we learned to offer experiences that are even more accessible for alumni moving forward.”
The plan is to have in-person attendance for typical events like Tent City, the Homecoming Parade and the football game itself including crowning the Homecoming King and Queen at halftime, but those decisions will have to be made closer to the occasion.
“We are actively planning for a traditional in-person Homecoming,” McGinnis said. “Specific details regarding capacity requirements for both small and large events will be determined in the months ahead based on state and federal guidelines and in collaboration with local health officials.”
As the University plans to bring fellow Racers from all over the country, McGinnis said those in the community and those that wish to attend should try to get vaccinated, that way everyone can come together for one of Murray State’s traditions.
“I encourage our students, alumni and broader Murray State community to get vaccinated as soon as possible so that we can again safely enjoy the Racer traditions we cherish together,” McGinnis said.
