Homecoming at GCSU will feature a Winter Olympics-themed lineup of events and alumni programming on Feb. 16 to 21, highlighted by Tent City, a parade through campus, homecoming court announcements and the Bobcats’ basketball games.

The theme draws inspiration from the ongoing global Olympic Games, according to Dr. Jennifer Graham, interim dean of students, who shared details about the week’s events.

“We’re definitely gonna have some throwbacks to 1996 when the Summer Olympics actually came through Milledgeville,” Graham said. “So we plan to tie in some historic Olympic moments that happened on campus.”

Homecoming Week begins Feb. 16 with an official opening ceremony on campus.

As described on the GCSU website, “Kick off Homecoming Week with our official opening ceremony as we light the Olympic torch and launch a week of Olympic-inspired fun.” 

Students can also pick up Homecoming swag and T-shirts on Front Campus. Monday’s featured “Bobcat Games” event will be human curling, the first of several Olympic-style activities planned throughout the week.

“Monday through Thursday, there’s gonna be a different kind of fun sporty activity, but you don’t have to be super sporty,” Graham said. “They are really geared towards anybody who wants to participate in the ‘Bobcat Games’.”

Office and door decorating also returns this year, after being absent in 2025.

 “We are bringing it back this year, so hopefully there will be lots of offices and doors decorated,” Graham said. “It’s a way for folks across campus to show their Bobcat spirit.” 

Tuesday’s ‘Bobcat Games’ event will feature a hockey puck shoot and Graham says students have a surprise in store.

 “Some of the players in The Macon Mayhem, which is our local hockey team, will come out and play hockey with us for a little bit,” Graham said.

Students have been eagerly anticipating the spring concert headliner, which will be announced during a silent disco on Tuesday evening. The event also gives students a chance to dance and celebrate on campus.

Wednesday will feature alumni-focused events, including a “Biscuits & Brew with the Alumni Crew” breakfast for faculty and staff. The day will also include a snowy-themed extravaganza on Front Campus.

“We’re gonna have ice skating on campus and a hot chocolate bar, some fun take-and-makes, a photo booth and some snow falling. We’re literally gonna make it snow,” Graham said.

Homecoming court elections open on Wednesday.

Some of the excitement has already begun with sorority chalking, which started Tuesday, Feb. 11, as students decorated sidewalks with names and symbols to promote Homecoming court candidates.

“Chalking is one of the biggest and most important events for homecoming,” said Cameron Cooper, a junior environmental science major and member of the Delta Gamma sorority. “We all go out there and we wait till midnight, because if you chalk before, you get in trouble, but once it hits midnight, we’re officially allowed to chalk and it gets crazy.” 

Cooper explained how the tradition helps build energy across campus.

 “I think it gets a lot of people excited, just because it’s so confusing, walking to class on Monday and seeing nothing and then coming to class Tuesday and seeing the entire sidewalk filled with random letters,” Cooper said. “You feel the energy, you feel the competition, you feel the competitive nature that everyone just has, but it’s all in good fun.”

Thursday will continue the Olympic-style competitions with a biathlon event on front campus, followed by judging for the office and door decorating contest. That night, students can attend “Battle of the Bobcats,” where the winner will open for the spring concert.

Friday’s schedule shifts toward welcoming alumni back to campus with engagement opportunities throughout the day. The Homecoming parade will also take place.

“We would love for the streets to be lined as the parade comes through and have students show their support. Hopefully we’ll see some really good parade decorations and floats this year,” Graham said.

Homecoming concludes Saturday with Tent City and the Homecoming basketball games at the Centennial Center. 

According to the university website, gcsu.edu, “Tent City is the official ‘tailgating’ event for the Homecoming Games and offers a place for everyone to gather in a convenient location.”

During the men’s and women’s matchups against Georgia Southwestern, the university will announce the winners of the week’s competitions and crown the Homecoming court.

Planning for Homecoming Week began months in advance with a campuswide committee, which worked to create a jam-packed week of events and activities for students, faculty, staff and alumni.

“We started the homecoming committee this year in October and our committee is ten folks from across the institution,” Graham said. “We try to get student feedback as much as we can. We want it to be just a week where you get to show up and engage and have fun.”