The 2025 Homecoming Week at the University of Tennessee at Martin will be held Oct. 5-12, and will feature several events for alumni, students and fans alike along with the football game against OVC-Big South Conference rival Western Illinois on Oct. 11.
Homecoming Week will also serve to kick off the opening ceremony for the university’s 125th anniversary celebration. The opening ceremony will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 10, in Watkins Auditorium in the Boling University Center, and is open to the public.
The 125th anniversary celebration will be held throughout the 2025-26 school year and into next October. The university was established in 1900 as the Hall-Moody Institute, with the cornerstone of the administration building being laid on Oct. 2 of that year. The first classes were held on Sept. 2, 1901.
A special book commemorating the university’s 125th anniversary is on sale now and will be available throughout Homecoming Week. Information about the book can be found at alumni.utm.edu/125book.
Information about UT Martin’s 125th anniversary celebration can be found at alumni.utm.edu/celebration.
The Alumni Awards program, held in conjunction with the Chancellor’s Brunch, will be held at 9:15 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Paul Meek Library. Admission is by invitation only.
Events for the 2025 Homecoming Week include:
• Sunday, Oct. 5: ROTC Homecoming 5K Fun Run, 3 p.m., Martin Running Company to Brian Brown Memorial Greenway (registration required); “The Importance of Being Earnest,” 3 p.m., performed by the Vanguard Theatre at the Harriet Fulton Theatre in the UTM Fine Arts Building; 125th Community Worship Service, 6 p.m., Martin First Baptist Church.
• Monday, Oct. 6: Rope pull (Bracket 1), 4 p.m., Pacer Pond.
• Tuesday, Oct. 7: Hawk Walk: History of UTM Building Tour, noon; rope pull (Bracket 2), 4 p.m., Pacer Pond; Flight Crew lip sync contest, 7 p.m., Festival Park, downtown Martin.
• Wednesday, Oct. 8: Homecoming court elections (students).
• Thursday, Oct. 9: Rope pull (alternate rain day, if needed), 4 p.m., Pacer Pond; second annual St. John’s Community Services chili cookoff, 5 p.m., Martin Public Library stage.
• Friday, Oct. 10: UTM 125th anniversary opening ceremony, 10 a.m., Watkins Auditorium, Boling University Center; rope pull championship, 3 p.m., Pacer Pond; pyramid and pep rally competition, 7 p.m., Kathleen and Tom Elam Center; NPHC Block Party, 7 p.m., Veterans Park; BAC Council Meet and Greet, 10 p.m., Dunagan Alumni Center.
• Saturday, Oct. 11: 22nd annual Empty Bowls event, 8 a.m., Martin Public Library stage; Rotaract/Phi Eta Sigma/SGA can sculpture contest, 9 a.m., the quad; Alpha 50th Anniversary History and Legacy Program, 9:06 a.m., Watkins Auditorium, Boling University Center; Chancellor’s Homecoming Brunch and Alumni Awards program, 9:15 a.m., Paul Meek Library, by invitation only; 19th annual UTM football alumni tailgate, 10 a.m., Hardy M. Graham Stadium; Quad City, 10:30 a.m., the quad; UTM Football Skyhawk Walk, 11 a.m., through the quad; football vs. Western Illinois, 2 p.m., Hardy M. Graham Stadium; NPHC Homecoming Step Show, 7 p.m., Kathleen and Tom Elam Center; Trail After Dark alumni party, 9 p.m., Ava Manor.
• Sunday, Oct. 12: UTM Homecoming Brunch, 10:30 a.m., UTM Dining Hall, Boling University Center.
More information about the 2025 Homecoming Week, including lodging information, can be found at alumni.utm.edu/homecoming. For more information about UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
PHOTO: Captain Skyhawk is shown walking with the football team and the cheerleaders through the quad during last year’s Homecoming. The football walk and Quad City are two popular Homecoming traditions among students and alumni alike.
