There are certain weeks on a college campus that feel different. 

 Homecoming is one of them. 
 
One of the things I have come to appreciate most about being a director of athletics is seeing the connections that athletics can create across generations. I've stood on the sidelines at games where former student-athletes have returned to campus and watched them run into former teammates they haven't seen in years. Within minutes, they are laughing, telling stories and remembering things that happened long before many of our current students were born. 
 
That's Homecoming. 
 
It's a time when the campus seems to stretch across generations. Alumni return to places that shaped their lives. Current students create memories of their own. Faculty and staff reconnect with former students and colleagues. Families come to campus. And the community gets another reminder of the role a university plays in the life of its hometown. 
 
It isn't simply about looking backward. It's about bringing the past, present and future together in one place. 
 
At UIS, we have an opportunity to make Homecoming particularly meaningful because of the history we have built here in Springfield. Our athletic programs are a big part of that history. They give generations of Prairie Stars a reason to come back, reconnect with old friends and create new memories. 
 
With that in mind, UIS Athletics has put together a Homecoming schedule designed to complement the university's events and give Prairie Star Nation – and the Springfield community – plenty of opportunities to gather and celebrate. 
 
Here's a look at what's ahead. 

Wednesday, October 7 – Women's and Men's Soccer vs. Indianapolis, Kiwanis Stadium, 4 and 6:30 p.m.  

It's hard to imagine Homecoming at UIS without soccer and Kiwanis Stadium. 
 
The men's program has won three national championships, including the first in 1986 – 40 years ago. That history deserves to be celebrated, and Wednesday night will be a great opportunity to do it. 
 
We'll have tailgating opportunities and special tents representing all four colleges, along with the Campus Diversity Center. It should be a great night to bring together alumni, students, families and friends. 

Thursday, October 8 – Tip-Off Dinner, TRAC, 6 p.m. 

The basketball programs will officially tip off Homecoming weekend with the Tip-Off Dinner, sponsored by Springfield Clinic and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. 
 
It's an opportunity to get to know this year's teams and coaches before they take the court. 
 
Matt Brock enters his eighth season leading the men's program with nine returnees from last year's third-place team, including four-year seniors Britton Dutton and Jorden Williams. In today's college basketball landscape, having that kind of experience returning to a roster is unusual. 
 
Olivia Birt and the women's program are coming off a season in which they won seven more GLVC games, continuing their climb up the conference standings. Nine of last year's top 10 scorers return, along with five freshmen and three Division I transfers. 
 
Senior Kayla Rice enters the season fourth on the UIS career scoring list with 1,118 points. She is fewer than 400 points from the top spot. 
 
Yes, this should be a fun year. 
 
Tickets are $30, or tables are available for $240. Register here. 

Friday, October 9 

Friday gives us a little bit of everything. 
 
The softball team will host Lincoln Land in a free scrimmage at 3 p.m. at the UIS Softball Field. 
 
At 6 p.m., volleyball hosts Drury in a key GLVC matchup at TRAC. The two teams were picked eighth and ninth in the preseason poll, so there is plenty at stake as both teams look to secure one of the eight spots in the GLVC Tournament. 
 
The Alumni Tailgate outside TRAC will get the evening started, and following the match, the basketball teams will host an opportunity for fans to see some of this year's players in action. 
 
And at 6:30 p.m., baseball will take over Robin Roberts Stadium for a scrimmage against Lincoln Land. There's something special about watching the Stars play under the lights at one of Springfield's historic ballparks. 

Saturday, October 10 

Saturday is where the Homecoming weekend really comes together. 
 
The morning begins with an opportunity to see the newest addition to UIS Athletics. Women's flag football will hold an open practice and free scrimmage at East Field beginning at 9:30 a.m. 
 
At 11:30 a.m., we'll induct the fifth class into the UIS Athletics Hall of Fame. 
 
Kevin Gamble, the inaugural men's basketball coach; Kathy Sigle, our first female scholarship student-athlete; and volleyball All-American Alyssa Hasler will be inducted. 
 
We'll also honor the 2006-07 men's basketball team, the most successful team in university history, which finished 23-9 and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Championship. 
 
Angela Giacomini Walsh will receive the Distinguished Athletic Alumnae Award. Angela played on two NAIA regional championship tennis teams in the early 1990s and has gone on to an outstanding career in the pharmaceutical industry. 
 
Perhaps most appropriately, the Hall of Fame luncheon will take place in the original gymnasium – the very place where that 2006-07 basketball team made its mark. Reserve your seat here. 
 
Then, at 2 p.m., volleyball takes center stage when the Prairie Stars host Southwest Baptist. 
 
Springfield is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66, so UIS Athletics is joining the celebration with the Route 66 Hospitality Lounge behind the team benches. The $15 package includes Chicago-style hot dogs, pit-stop classics, roadside beverages and a unique view of the match.  
 
It's a pretty good way to spend a Saturday afternoon. 
 
Hospitality Lounge tickets must be purchased in advance. Check back at uisprairiestars.com/events for registration information. 
 
And, of course, Homecoming Saturday also includes the Prairie Star 5K and Pancake Breakfast in the morning and the Alumni Gala that evening. 

Sunday, October 11 – Baseball Golf Outing, Piper Glen, 9 a.m.  

Homecoming weekend wraps up with the baseball program's golf outing at Piper Glen. It's a chance for former players, families and friends to spend some time together while supporting the program. 
 
Registration is available here. 
 
When you look at the entire schedule, I think it captures what Homecoming should be. 
 
There are opportunities to celebrate our history. There are opportunities to watch today's Prairie Stars compete. There are opportunities for alumni to reconnect, for families to spend time together and for people throughout Springfield to experience what makes UIS special. 
 
I also think there is something powerful about seeing a former Prairie Star walk into a facility and immediately start telling stories. 
 
Maybe it's a former soccer player standing at Kiwanis Stadium talking about a championship team. Maybe it's a former basketball player walking into the original gymnasium and pointing out where they hit a game-winning shot. Maybe it's an alumnus seeing a current Prairie Star wearing the same uniform they once wore. 
 
Those moments are easy to overlook because they happen so naturally. 
 
But they are the essence of Homecoming. 
 
The people who were here 40 years ago can stand alongside the people who arrived on campus this fall. They can share stories, compare experiences and realize that while the university has changed, the connection to UIS remains. 
 
That connection is one of the great privileges of working in college athletics. We get to help create today's experiences while also protecting and celebrating the memories that came before us. 
 
We want Homecoming 2026 to be more than a series of events on a calendar. 
 
We want it to feel like a reunion of Prairie Star Nation. 
 
So come back to campus. Bring your family. Find an old teammate. Introduce yourself to a current Prairie Star. Watch a game. Tell a story. 
 
And, perhaps most importantly, make a new memory. 
 
I hope to see you on the Prairie.