For more than a century, towns in the United States have been celebrating annual homecoming celebrations to welcome former students back to campus. The annual alumni event centered around a football game has grown and changed over the years. Here are a few fun facts about the history of Homecoming at UK: 

1. In 2023, the University of Kentucky will celebrate its 108th Homecoming celebration. Homecoming at UK began in 1915 and has continued every year since. 
2. Royalty didn't begin until the 1950s. Homecoming was originally just a time to celebrate alumni coming back to campus.  
3. Homecoming used to be held only in the spring. 
4. 2005 and 2017 were historic Homecoming years. In 2005, Antoine Huffman became the first Black Homecoming king and in 2017 Jada Linton became the first Black Homecoming queen. 
5. A Homecoming parade complete with elaborate floats used to wind its way through campus. 

Homecoming wouldn't be successful without the support from our partners and sponsors. Thank you for being an integral part of this tradition at UK. Find out more about our partners by clicking the links below. Want to become a Homecoming partner or sponsor? Email us at ukalumni@uky.edu.