UPIKE Football, Fireworks and Homecoming Fun

UPIKE Football, Fireworks and Homecoming Fun

PIKEVILLE, Ky. - As the University of Pikeville marks its 123rd year, students, alumni, parents and friends are invited to join us on the hill for Homecoming and Parents' Weekend, Oct. 3-8.

A special chapel service will be held Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 11 a.m. in Meditation Chapel located in Record Memorial Building. The countdown to the men's and women's basketball seasons begins at 7 p.m. at the UPIKE gymnasium as the Bears take the court for Basketball Blastoff. Following the scrimmages, join us for a bonfire and hot dog roast. The events are free.

The fun continues on Thursday, Oct. 6, with the traditional Founders' Day picnic and games in the Allara Courtyard at 11 a.m. The cost for lunch is $6.  

Later Thursday evening, the University will honor those whose contributions in education have made a significant and lasting impact on hundreds of students' lives during the Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame ceremony. In addition, there will be a special unveiling honoring the University's Distinguished Educators that will serve as both a legacy and an inspiration to those who aspire to teach. The community is invited to attend the event beginning at 6 p.m. in Booth Auditorium, located on level five of the Record Memorial Building.

The women's volleyball team takes on Lindsey Wilson College on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. at the UPIKE gymnasium. The match is free.

Cheer for your hometown teams during the homecoming parade for Pikeville High School and the UPIKE Bears in downtown Pikeville on Friday, Oct. 7, at 4 p.m. The University's Alumni Awards Dinner and Reception will be held at the East Kentucky Exposition Center later that evening. The reception begins at 5 p.m. and dinner and awards at 6 p.m. The cost is $30 per person. Please RSVP by Sept. 30.  

Bears fans will gather Friday evening in the Pikeville City Park for a fall sports pep rally and fireworks at 8 p.m. Following the fireworks, the new UPIKE Athletic Hall of Fame will be unveiled at the East Kentucky Exposition Center. Capping off the fun-filled evening, at 9 p.m., the campus will be glowing with hundreds of luminaries for the traditional lighting of the campus, organized by the Student Government Association.

University of Pikeville President Paul E. Patton will give an address on "The Civil War's Impact on Kentucky," on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 9 a.m. in the Janice Ford Student Art Gallery in the Allara Library. Various academic lectures and networking forums will be held across campus from 10 a.m. - noon on Saturday. Author Anne Shelby will read from her recently published collection of poems, Appalachian Studies, from 10 a.m.-noon in the Janice Ford Student Art Gallery in Allara Library.

The women's volleyball team will take the court against St. Catherine College at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the UPIKE gymnasium.

The action-packed Saturday continues as the Bears take the field against Lindsey Wilson College at the Hambley Athletic Complex in Pikeville. Admission to the game includes an invitation to the tailgate at the Beargounds, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Homecoming tailgate activities are sponsored by Utility Management Group, Food City, Pepsi Bottling Company, Aramark, and the University of Pikeville Alumni Association. Kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m. UPIKE music alumni will sing the national anthem and join the pep band during the game. Admission to the football game is $8 for adults and $4 for students. University of Pikeville students are admitted free with UPIKE ID. Faculty and staff, and one guest, are also admitted free with ID. The Homecoming king and queen will be crowned during halftime of the football game.  

Men's and women's soccer will take the field against the University of the Cumberlands at the YMCA field on Saturday. The women's match begins at 6 p.m. and the men's at 8 p.m.

Additional student activities throughout the week include a free bowling night, homecoming court dinner and homecoming dance. For more information about Homecoming and Parents' Week events, please contact the Office of Development at the University of Pikeville at (606) 218-5276 or visit www.upike.edu/alumni.