WT Homecoming Week Activities Kick Off Oct. 16; Parade, Game Set for Oct. 24

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Roll out the maroon carpet: West Texas A&M University Homecoming Week will bring together alumni, students and community members for a “Lights! Camera! Buffs!”-themed celebration.

Homecoming events run Oct. 16 to 23, culminating Oct. 24 with the annual parade and the WT Football matchup against Western New Mexico University.

“As exciting as an action movie and as heartwarming as a family drama, WT Homecoming will have something for everyone,” said Ronnie Hall, executive director of the WT Alumni Association. “We can’t wait for WT alumni to return to campus to join with students and the University community to show off their Buff pride.”

Highlights will include:

• The Phoenix: This celebration of WT’s Distinguished Alumni Class of 2026, set for 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 22, will include a dinner and program, followed by jazz music and desserts. Dinner will be held in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. Tickets are $75; tables are $600 to $1,500. Reservations are due Oct. 19. Honorees are Dr. Kelly Beierschmitt, leader of Pantex, one of the nation’s critical defense operations; and Dr. Linda Young, a data scientist who has made a profound impact in agriculture.
• Homecoming Scholarship Classic: This newly revived golf scramble will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 23 at Palo Duro Creek Golf Course, 50 Country Club Drive in Canyon. Check-in and breakfast will begin at 8:15 a.m. Registration is $150 per player or $600 for four. Sponsorships are available from $500 to $7,500. Registration deadline is Oct. 16.
• Alumni Social: Buffs can gather from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at The Lumberyard, 850 N. 23rd St. in Canyon, for time to reconnect and enjoy snacks and a cash bar. Tickets are $25.
• Hall of Champions: The newest inductees into the WT Athletic Hall of Champions will be celebrated at a 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23 reception in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. Legacy Award recipients are Linda and Wayne Woodward. Inductees include Lauren Beville (volleyball), Norma Cunigan (track & field), Ashley Hardin (softball), Duane Joubert (football), Shanna McBroom (softball), Khiry Robinson (football), Abraham Seaneke (track & field) and Norman White (football). Tickets are $50. Call 806-651-1400.
• HomeCOMMing Brunch: The WT Department of Communication will host alumni at an event showcasing students’ creative works in film, multimedia and storytelling. The event will run from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 24 in the foyer of the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex. RSVP here.
• Alumni Brunch: The Canyon/Amarillo WT Alumni chapter will host a complimentary brunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in Buffalo Courts Alumni Center in the heart of the WT campus. Attendees can pick up a free, WT-branded candy bag before the parade.
• Homecoming Parade: The “Lights! Camera! Buffs!”-themed parade will begin at 1 p.m. Oct. 24 and will follow a route from the First United Bank Center to the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex along Russell Long Boulevard. For entry information, call 806-651-2051. The parade—which will be hosted by NewsChannel 10’s Ali Allison and Jayden Ramkissoon—will be broadcast on KFDA’s MeTV (digital channel 10.4 and cable channel 127) and will stream on WT’s home page and social media platforms and KFDA’s NewsChannel 10 Plus streaming services.
• Party on 26th Street: Tailgating activities will begin immediately after the parade along 26th Street across from Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium on campus.
• WT Football: The Buffs will take on the Western New Mexico University Mustangs at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. For tickets, visit gobuffsgo.com.

Other community activities include various alumni reunions throughout the day Oct. 24, as well as WT men’s and women’s soccer games Oct. 21 and Lady Buffs volleyball matches Oct. 23 versus University of Texas Permian Basin and Oct. 24 versus Angelo State University. Oct. 24 volleyball tickets are only $5 for those who also have bought tickets to the football game.

Student activities will include Paint the Town Maroon on Oct. 16, with students decorating windows and vehicles around the community; The Premier, a kickoff party on Oct. 19; a “Tunes at Noon” karaoke party Oct. 20 and 21 in the JBK Commons and the University Dining Hall, respectively; Homecoming King and Queen elections; a dodgeball tournament Oct. 21 in the Virgil Henson Activities Center; and Pigskin Revue, the annual spirit rally at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23 on Citizens Bank Plaza at Buffalo Stadium.

Homecoming sponsors include Amarillo National Bank, Education Credit Union, ACFCU, Blueridge Roofing, Hondo Schaeffer / Edward Jones, KT Black, Amarillo Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Canyon Economic Development Corp., FirstBank Southwest, Interstate Bank, Lone Star Golf Cars, Rate LLC, Garre’s Canyon Glass Co., FastSigns, PepsiCo and Whiteface Ford.

For a complete list of activities, visit wtamu.edu/homecoming.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of about 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 65 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 41 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and three doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference; WT offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: The Eternal Flame is blazing at the 2025 Pigskin Revue.

—WT—