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July 1, 2026 · The BlackEvents Team

The 2026 HBCU Homecoming Calendar: Every Weekend, Every School

Howard, NC A&T, FAMU, the AUC, Hampton, NCCU, TSU, Prairie View — every 2026 HBCU homecoming, week by week, with the games, the dates, and the cities they take over.

Homecoming isn't a weekend. Homecoming is a season.

From early October through Thanksgiving, the HBCU circuit runs one long relay — the AUC schools kicking it off, Howard picking up the baton, NC A&T anchoring the middle, and the football classics closing everything out at Bayou Classic and the Celebration Bowl. Every year, every weekend, a different city gets pulled in.

Here's the full 2026 calendar, in the order things happen.

Early October: the AUC opens

Morehouse College — Saturday, October 10, 2026. The Maroon Tigers vs. Savannah State on the historic Century Campus, 10 AM kickoff. Alumni Tailgate Experience runs all day. Morehouse and Spelman celebrations trigger street closures across the AUC from Tuesday, October 14 through Sunday, October 19 — that's the full week of overlapping events.

Spelman College — October 2026 (Spelman's homecoming week overlaps the Morehouse window). Add Clark Atlanta and Morris Brown alumni programming layered on top, and Atlanta is functionally a two-week homecoming city.

North Carolina Central (NCCU) — Ultimate Homecoming Experience, Friday, October 2 – Saturday, October 10. Football vs. William & Mary at 1 PM on October 10. Durham fills for the week; the Black-owned Durham dining scene runs at capacity.

See the AUC homecoming guide → and the NCCU / Durham section for what's happening in each city.

Mid October: Tennessee State + Hampton

Tennessee State (TSU) — October 15 – 18, 2026 in Nashville. The Aristocrat of Bands, the tailgate down Jefferson Street, the alumni parties at Hotel Preston and the Lighthouse. Nashville's Black professional class turns out and stays out.

Hampton University — October 18 – 25, 2026. The full week in the 757. Anchors Drop kicks the week off, the NPHC Step Show mid-week, and the game weekend brings alumni from the DMV, NYC, and Atlanta home. Hampton is the alma mater with the deepest fashion energy on the circuit — pack accordingly.

Third weekend of October: Prairie View + FAMU

Prairie View A&M — Homecoming Saturday, October 17, 2026 vs. Alcorn State at Panther Stadium. The Marching Storm at full volume. Prairie View is the smaller-town homecoming that punches at the Houston alumni network's weight.

Florida A&M (FAMU) — Homecoming Saturday, October 24, 2026 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 3 PM kickoff at Bragg Memorial Stadium. This is the debut homecoming for new head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr. The Marching 100 at halftime. And Tallahassee becomes FAMU for a full week — hotels book, restaurants fill, the after-parties spread to Atlanta and Orlando by Saturday night.

See the FAMU Homecoming Tallahassee guide →.

Late October: the two biggest weekends

Howard University — Homecoming Week runs October 11 – 18, 2026, with the marquee weekend the following Friday and Saturday: International Yardfest on October 21 and 22 (12 PM – 6 PM both days). Saturday, October 22 stacks the Parade (10 AM), Alumni Tailgate and Fest (10 AM – 6 PM), and the football game (1 PM). Yardfest is the culture-defining concert of the fall — every year, every generation of Bison, in one place.

See the Howard Homecoming playbook →.

NC A&T — The Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE) — October 25 – November 1, 2026. This is the centennial edition. 100th GHOE. The homecoming game is Saturday, October 31 (Halloween) vs. Elon at Truist Stadium. Greensboro sells out. Hotels raise rates on the outskirts of Winston-Salem. The parade is one of the largest in the state.

See the GHOE first-timer's guide →.

Early November: the football classics take over

The homecoming individual-school weeks give way to the football classics — one-off matchups that turn entire cities into HBCU weekends:

  • Magic City Classic — Saturday, October 31, 2026 at Legion Field in Birmingham. Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State. The largest annual HBCU football event by attendance. Fan Fest, corporate row, the parade downtown Saturday morning.
  • Florida Classic — Saturday, November 21, 2026 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. FAMU vs. Bethune-Cookman. The rivalry that fills a Central Florida weekend.
  • Bayou Classic — Saturday, November 28, 2026 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Grambling vs. Southern. The Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday, Nov 26. Battle of the Bands + Greek Show run Friday, Nov 27.

See the HBCU football classics guide → and the Bayou Classic guide →.

December: the season closes at the Celebration Bowl

Cricket Celebration Bowl — Saturday, December 12, 2026 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The 11th annual HBCU national championship, MEAC Champion vs. SWAC Champion. Noon kickoff on ABC. Weekend-long fan programming, Battle of the Bands, and the closing capstone on the college HBCU football year.

The weekend at a glance

For most of these, the shape of the weekend is the same:

  • Thursday: early alumni receptions, the "we got here first" dinners
  • Friday: Greek shows, step shows, the fashion shows, the after-parties that alumni actually rank higher than the game
  • Saturday: Parade in the morning, tailgate through midday, football at 1 PM (most schools), then the reunion parties all night
  • Sunday: gospel brunch, the alumni chapter breakfast, travel home

Even non-alumni can participate. Most tailgates are effectively open. Most parties sell tickets. The parades are public. The Greek shows and homecoming concerts are ticketed but not gatekept. See homecoming without being an alum → for the etiquette playbook.

What to wear

Homecoming is fashion week for the culture. Different school, different aesthetic:

  • Howard: professional-adjacent, considered, DC-polished
  • AUC: dressed up, matched, ready for the photo
  • NC A&T: casual-cool, jerseys and jorts and jerseys again
  • FAMU: color, print, the "yeah I'm here" energy
  • Hampton: the most-styled of them all — layered, tailored, luxe

See the by-school style guide →.

How to actually find events week-to-week

Going home for homecoming? Browse events by city → and tell your school's alumni chapter to list theirs free.

Related

Updated weekly through the season. If your school's homecoming should be on this list, tell us.