Coming Back to the Yard: Why WVSU Homecoming is Bigger Than Football

By Justin Phillips, BBG Sports Editor

At West Virginia State University, Homecoming is measured in more than touchdowns. It lives in the stories alumni retell outside familiar buildings, the greetings between friends who have not seen one another in years and the traditions that turn a campus into “the yard” again.

In a BBG Sports conversation, Trey Jones, WVSU’s vice president for University Advancement, said returning alumni are coming back to a shared place and shared memory.

“It’s like coming back home,” Jones said. “You remember when we were in this building,” he added, describing stories alumni can recall in detail 30 or 40 years later.

“It’s like coming back home.”

– Trey Jones

Football remains part of the ritual. The Yellow Jackets face West Liberty at 1 p.m. Saturday, bringing former players, students, families and fans together in the stands. But the traditions continue beyond the final whistle. Alumni can return to their tailgates before heading to the old gym for the Homecoming step show.

The step show carries its own history. This year, the Theta Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and the Alpha Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., are celebrating their centennials. Their return connects generations through stepping, service, friendly competition and the culture of WVSU as one of West Virginia’s two HBCUs.

Homecoming is also carried by people whose names may never appear on the field. Jones recognized the university’s Homecoming committee, alumni leaders and staff members who organize the gatherings, communicate with graduates and create reasons for people to return.

For Jones, those efforts serve the next generation. A joyful Homecoming keeps alumni connected, encourages them to give back and helps create opportunities for today’s students.

The football game may anchor the weekend, but the deeper tradition is reunion: returning to the yard, remembering who stood beside you and making sure future Yellow Jackets have a home to return to.