University of Iowa homecoming planned a year in advance

Saturday's football game against Michigan brings together Hawkeyes of all ages for a homecoming tradition dating back 95 years.

The big game is only part of the festivities, though, and pulling it all together each year is no easy task.

As for choosing the opponent for the football game, this year's pick was easy, said Mark Abbot, a UI associate athletics director.

“It was a pretty clear choice; it was going to be Michigan,” he said, noting Alumni Association staff recommend to the department which game they believe most fans will want to see.

Abbot said the weekend for the homecoming game is chosen at least a year in advance, usually a few games into the season and typically against another Big 10 team.

The 2010 homecoming game is set for Oct. 2 versus Penn State.

If 70,000 screaming fans on an average football Saturday isn't enough energy for Iowa City, homecoming is the largest visitor weekend after UI's graduation weekend, according to the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Festivities planning starts in January, said Samantha Peterson, executive director of the 2009 homecoming council. The council includes dozens of UI students and faculty who spend countless hours to make sure events go smoothly.

Peterson said that, starting this year, more effort is being made to include everyone on campus in activities.

Getting the entire university community pumped up is what the week is all about, said Kevin Paulsen, outreach director on the homecoming council.

“It's a lot of little things to make it all work,” he said.

Activities this week included a capture the flag and tug of war competition for UI students, Friday night's parade downtown and a concert featuring the Temptations and Augustana.

“We wanted to bring out the idea that once you're a Hawkeye, always a Hawkeye,” she said of this year's theme, “Black and gold never gets old.”