{"id":2138,"date":"2021-06-29T21:07:48","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T21:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/?p=2138"},"modified":"2025-10-02T07:56:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T12:56:01","slug":"first-division-i-homecoming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/first-division-i-homecoming\/","title":{"rendered":"First Division I Homecoming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Can you see yourself here celebrating Tarleton Homecoming in the fall? <\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homecoming is one of the most special weeks at Tarleton State University. Students and Alumni are able to come together to celebrate some of the best traditions at Tarleton. Of all the traditions at Tarleton, Homecoming hosts over 15 of them – all in one week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m Emily Kahler and I am a senior Communications major. Tarleton traditions are something I hold closely to my heart, as many Tarleton students do! Traditions are what brings the Tarleton community so close together. Here are some of my favorite traditions that happen during Homecoming week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yell Contest<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yell Contest is arguably one of the most exciting traditions. Student organizations spend hours<\/em> of their week for a couple of months preparing for the competition. Students create a \u201cyell\u201d that tends to have some type of a theme, like Christmas songs, for example. The students then replace lyrics with Tarleton traditions. They will create different formations and do different dance-like moves to the yell they create, while they are obviously yelling the lyrics. I have participated in Yell three times now (I am getting old) and it is one of my favorite traditions EVER! It is so much fun to spend time preparing with my sorority to compete in Yell. It brings us all closer together and creates some really fun memories that I will cherish forever. I can\u2019t wait to come back as an Alum and cheer on the students who put in all their hard work for this tradition! Click here<\/a><\/strong><\/span> to view the most recent Yell Contest and get a taste of this Tarleton tradition! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Students
Tarleton Yell Contest Spring 2021: Kappa Delta Rho fraternity performing their “Yung Gravy” themed Yell.<\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

L.V. Risinger Bonfire<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tradition that started during the 1920\u2019s, the burning of the bonfire takes place on Friday evening of Homecoming week. Tarleton\u2019s bonfire is one of the most impressive and one of the biggest in the state of Texas! The Plowboys organization is responsible for building and guarding the bonfire. The bonfire has been dedicated to L. V. Risinger, acclaimed defender of the bonfire during the NTAC air raid of 1939. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beating of the Drum<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1920s marked the beginning of a tradition that is a favorite among Tarleton students\u2014the beating of the drum. North Texas Agricultural College (NTAC) was Tarleton’s biggest rivalry back in the early days of our institution. At the height of the rivalry between JTAC (Tarleton was formerly known as John Tarleton Agricultural College) and NTAC, the burning of the opponent\u2019s bonfire prior to the scheduled celebration was a popular undertaking. During this time, Tarleton students would station themselves around the perimeter of the rock wall to guard the bonfire. A drum was beaten 24 hours a day until the kick off of the football game to discourage NTAC students from invading campus. Today, organizations and residence hall students carry on this tradition during Homecoming week by beating the drum on Tuesday evening and continuing until kickoff on Saturday. The original drum was suspended from a frame; today, 55 gallon steel drums are used. The winner of the Yell Contest beats the drum following the Plowboys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Texan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Purple Pancakes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purple Pancakes is an event put on by Tarleton\u2019s Student Government Association (SGA) and Freshman Representative Council (FRC). Not only do SGA and FRC serve the Purple Pancakes in the Dining Hall, but so does Dr. Hurley and his lovely wife, Mrs. Hurley. Students come out to grab some purple pancakes and spend time with their peers! The most fun part about this tradition is that it takes place at midnight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"President<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Homecoming Parade<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Homecoming Parade begins near the baseball and softball fields and proceeds to flow around Tarleton\u2019s campus. Floats, bands, and marching units from Tarleton and surrounding communities participate in the parade each year. Student organizations build their own, unique floats to showcase during the parade. Members from the Stephenville community and Tarleton students line the streets to watch the parade!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Students<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

100 Years of Poo<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2021 was a special year for the TTS and TTP (Purple Poo) organization; they celebrated 100 years of Poo! For 100 years, students under the mask have kept the spirit of Tarleton alive and have been known as the oldest <\/em>spirit organization in Texas! The campus pedestrian walkway on Jones St. is now named Purple Poo Way, and every current and alumni member of the Poo will receive the Presidential Core Values Coin for their dedication and love for Tarleton State. Heyyyy Oscar P.!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Texan Football<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It couldn\u2019t possibly be Homecoming without a football game! Every Homecoming, the Texans host a football game on Saturday. Not only is there the excitement of the football game itself, but at half time, the newest Homecoming King and Queen are announced. These games are always packed and are so much fun to attend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumni Relations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homecoming week brings in so many of our wonderful Alumni. The Tarleton Alumni House hosts events throughout the week for the Alumni. It is such a special feeling to connect with Alumni from your organizations and reconnect with those who have graduated recently! This is one of my favorite parts of Homecoming week because of the connections I have made throughout the years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tarleton<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My favorite Homecoming tradition would have to be the Yell Contest. The memories I have made during practices and the contest itself are priceless and will last a lifetime. Homecoming is so special because each and every one of the traditions celebrated brings the Tarleton community closer together. It reminds current students of how special Tarleton is and reminds alumni that the gates are always<\/em> open. To get even more of a feel of how special Homecoming is here at Tarleton, check out our Homecoming 2021 recap video here<\/span><\/a>! Bleed purple!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

[newsletter_signup_form id=1]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can you see yourself here celebrating Tarleton Homecoming in the fall?  Homecoming is one of the most special weeks at Tarleton State University. Students and Alumni are able to come …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":2363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[81,77,79,76,80,78],"class_list":["post-2138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-life","tag-bonfire","tag-division-i","tag-football","tag-homecoming","tag-purple-pancakes","tag-purple-poo"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2021\/06\/Yell-Contest-Kappa-Delta-Rho_5569-1024x683-2.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"cfalambar","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/author\/cfsmith-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2\/"},"author_meta":{"display_name":"cfalambar","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/author\/cfsmith-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2021\/06\/Yell-Contest-Kappa-Delta-Rho_5569-1024x683-2-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Student Life<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Student Life<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Bonfire<\/a>","Division I<\/a>","Football<\/a>","Homecoming<\/a>","Purple Pancakes<\/a>","Purple Poo<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Bonfire<\/span>","Division I<\/span>","Football<\/span>","Homecoming<\/span>","Purple Pancakes<\/span>","Purple Poo<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 5 years ago","modified":"Updated 7 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on June 29, 2021","modified":"Updated on October 2, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on June 29, 2021 9:07 pm","modified":"Updated on October 2, 2025 7:56 am"},"featured_img_caption":"Group wearing blonde wigs, floral shirts, and sunglasses performing indoors.","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/155"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2138"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13381,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2138\/revisions\/13381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}