The University of Alabama at Birmingham will celebrate Homecoming 2017 from Oct. 1-7, with the Gurney Derby Competition, Hoops After Dark, a parade through Southside and UAB Football vs. Louisiana Tech at Legion Field.
This year’s theme is “Blazers United.” UAB’s traditional festivities include Campus Recreation's second annual Blazer 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30; the Blazer Showdown group talent show at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2; the Homecoming Comedy Show featuring Mike Yard at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the Hill Student Center Ballroom; and the Gurney Derby Competition at noon Wednesday, Oct. 4. On Thursday, Oct. 5, the UAB Bookstore Hoops After Dark, including a concert by EDM artists DrFamus and Drizno, is at Bartow Arena from 7:30-10 p.m.; a fan fest precedes it from 6-7:30 p.m. outside of Bartow. The Homecoming Parade is at noon Friday, Oct. 6, followed by the Pep Rally on the Campus Green. The week will culminate with UAB Football on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m.
All events are free for students with One Cards. Hoops After Dark is free and open to all ages. Admission to the Homecoming Comedy Show is free and open to the public. UAB Football single-game tickets start at $20. Purchase tickets at www.uabsports.com or at the gate at Legion Field.
Traditional events for students, faculty and staff include Paint the Town at 2 p.m. and Sunday Fun Day at 3 p.m. Oct. 1; the Building Decoration Competition at 11 a.m., Homecoming Wheelchair Flag Football at 6 p.m., and Pancakes and Karaoke at 8:30 p.m., all on Tuesday, Oct. 3; and the Fight Song Competition at 7 p.m. in the Hill Student Center and Blaze the Night at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the UAB Mini Park. See the full listing of Homecoming events online at www.uab.edu/homecoming/events.
The Blazers will host Louisiana Tech at 3 p.m. For all game day information, visit www.blazergameday.com, follow @BlazerGameday on Twitter and Instagram, and like Blazer Gameday Operations on Facebook.
For the student tailgate area, students may claim a spot starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays of game week. Students can reserve their own tailgating space by presenting their BlazerID at the Bartow Arena Ticket Office. By reserving a spot, students will get a space large enough to accommodate a vehicle and a tailgate area. Shuttle service is free; pickup starts four hours prior to the game at Blazer Circle and runs every 20-30 minutes. Full student game day info is online.
The winners of the 36th annual Mr. and Ms. UAB Scholarship Competition will be announced at halftime of the Homecoming game. Sponsored by the UAB National Alumni Society, this tradition recognizes outstanding male and female students on campus who have demonstrated scholastic achievement, leadership, campus and community involvement, and overall enthusiasm for UAB. Each winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship and serve as an ambassador of UAB in the coming year. The first alternates will receive $1,000 scholarships. Finalists are selected through two rounds of interviews and a student vote held during Homecoming week.
The 220-member-strong Marching Blazers will perform with the UAB Alumni Band during pre-game. It is open to all UAB graduates who were members of the Marching Blazers. The deadline to participate in the Alumni Band is Sunday, Sept. 24. Visit the Alumni tab on UABBands.org for more details. At halftime, the Marching Blazers will present its entire 2017 field show, “The British Invasion.” The show features music from artists including David Bowie, The Beatles, Elton John and Adele. Members of the Marching Blazers also will perform at events through Homecoming week as well.