The University of Houston-Victoria is gearing up to celebrate this year’s homecoming with a weeklong celebration filled with events, festivities and Jaguar pride.

This year’s homecoming will be March 18-23, happening right after Spring Break, giving students the chance to go on break, take time to recuperate and come back right in time for the festivities, said Freddie Cantu, interim director of UHV Student Life. The theme will be “Spirit of ’73” to commemorate UHV’s 50^th anniversary.

Bob Glenn

"I am thrilled to welcome the community, as well as current and past Jaguars on campus to celebrate in this year’s Homecoming, said UHV President Bob Glenn. “I encourage everyone to take part in the various events we offer, connect with fellow alumni and revel in the sense of unity that defines Homecoming. I look forward to seeing you all as we come together to make this celebration a reflection of the extraordinary spirit that defines us.”

On Monday, March 18, an information station will be set up from 9 to 11 a.m. in the UHV University West hallway and UHV University Center lobby. Another station will be in the UHV University Commons and Jaguar Hall lobbies from noon to 2 p.m.

Homecoming week will officially commence later that day with the Spirit of ’73 Kickoff, during which students are invited to cheer on their UHV athletes, meet this year’s Homecoming Court and enjoy a live performance from The Southern Drive Band. The event is scheduled from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Pyramid Row and is open to the public.

On Tuesday, March 19, information stations will continue to be set up from 9 to 11 a.m. in the UHV University West hallway and UHV University Center lobby and in the UHV University Commons and Jaguar Hall lobbies from noon to 2 p.m.

UHV Katy will be hosting a homecoming celebration from 5 to 7 p.m., located in the lobby of UHV Katy, 22400 Grand Circle Blvd., where attendees can enjoy games, receive a tree T-shirt and take photos with jaX.

Over in Victoria, the Powderpuff Football game will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the UHV Intramural Field behind Jaguar Village. Players who participate will receive a free T-shirt.

On Wednesday, March 20, the day will kick off with the Sprit Cup Showcase from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. across the campus. The showcase is an annual homecoming tradition that gives offices on campus the opportunity to show off their best Jaguar spirit. Departments campus-wide will decorate their spaces, and students will vote for who has the most spirit.

Later that afternoon, the Retired Faculty & Staff Luncheon will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. inside the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room. The event is open to all UHV retired faculty and staff members and their guests. To RSVP, contact Kelsey Norgard at 361-570-4869 or norgardkn@uhv.edu.

The festivities will continue that evening with the 1973 Block Party from 9 p.m. to midnight at the UHV University Commons Multi-Purpose Room and lobby. Students are invited to partake in various DIY activities and games. A midnight breakfast will be served from 9 to 10:30 p.m.

On Thursday, March 21, the second annual UHV Alumni Career Panel will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. over Microsoft Teams. Later that night, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Ninth Annual Talent Show will be held at the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room. Prizes will be awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners.

On Friday, March 22, the day will begin with the Softball Pre-Game Celebration from noon to 1 p.m. at the Victoria Youth Sports Complex. At 1 p.m., the UHV Jaguar softball team will take on Texas A&M-Texarkana in a doubleheader game at the Victoria Youth Sports Complex. Shuttles will provide transportation to students from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jaguar Hall.

An alumni banquet will be held later that evening from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room. Diane Kliem, a Victoria attorney and partner at Kliem & Balusek Attorneys at Law, will be named the 2024 Distinguished Alumna at the banquet. Along with Kliem, Robert Royer, founder and president of Building Brands Marketing, will be named the 2024 Young Alumnus of the Year. Tickets for the event are $30 per person and can be purchased online at uhvconnect.org/events.

On Saturday, March 23, the final day of homecoming week will start with the President’s Tailgate and a chili cookoff from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Riverside Stadium. The grand prize winner of the chili cookoff will receive the golden spoon, and the people’s choice winner will receive the silver spoon along with bragging rights.

At noon, students are invited to come cheer on the Jaguars as the baseball team takes on LSU Shreveport during a doubleheader game. The event will be free for all UHV students, faculty and staff and $5 for members of the community to attend. The 2024 Royal Jaguars will be announced and crowned in between the games. The games and chili cookoff will be open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to wear red for the games.

The final event to close out the week will be the Homecoming Dance scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. at the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room. The event will kick off with cocktail hour where free food and drinks will be provided before students can take to the dance floor.

For all homecoming events on Saturday, transportation will be provided from UHV Katy to Victoria. Starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, a shuttle will be ready to take students to Victoria. The shuttle will depart Victoria later that evening at 9 p.m. to return students to UHV Katy. For those wishing to use the transportation service, a form must be completed before 5 p.m. on Friday, March 8 at: https://uhv.presence.io/form/katy-student-homecoming-transportation-2024.