Every year, Spartans come together for Homecoming week, celebrating with tailgates, campus events and the annual parade.
This year, join fellow Spartans, friends and families from Oct. 5 to 10 for MSU’s Homecoming week.
Homecoming week schedule
Oct. 5–9
- Homecoming headquarters: This year, the MSU Union will serve as a hub filled with Spartan pride, traditions and everything needed to spend the week in green‑and‑white style.
Oct. 5–10
- Glow Green: Celebrate Homecoming by replacing any light fixture with a green bulb, creating a bright, unmistakable glow that shows your Spartan pride.
Oct. 9
- Annual Homecoming Parade, 6 p.m.: The parade throughout downtown East Lansing and across the MSU campus is a cherished Spartan tradition that brings the community together in a celebration of pride and spirit.
Oct. 10
- President's Homecoming Tailgate — 2.5 hours before kickoff: Enjoy live performances from the Spartan Marching Band, meet this year’s Grand Marshal and Homecoming Court and welcome Vice President and Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae at the new Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Space is limited; register by Oct. 4.
- Homecoming game — Kickoff TBA: Spartans take on the University of Illinois at Spartan Stadium, bringing the MSU community together for a spirited matchup in the heart of campus.
Meet the grand marshal
The job of the grand marshal is to guide the parade, attend alumni gatherings and represent MSU. This year’s Homecoming grand marshal is Susan Packard, a 1977 MSU alumna, self-help author and co-founder of HGTV and Scripps Networks Interactive.
Packard earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in advertising from MSU.
She was previously named the 2019 Homecoming grand marshal, but the parade was rained out and not rescheduled.
An author, advocate and proud Spartan, Packard is passionate about sharing the story of collegiate recovery and supporting students on their path to success.
Homecoming Court
Each year, 10 to 12 outstanding students are selected for the Homecoming Court for their leadership, spirit, integrity and the contributions they make across MSU.
As Spartan ambassadors, the 2026 court will spend the year representing MSU at university, alumni and community events, exemplifying the values that define the Spartan experience.
Watch for these seniors on the Homecoming Court:
- Sarah Bejleri (Makati, Philippines) is in the Eli Broad College of Business, College of Natural Science, College of Social Science and the Honors College, majoring in economics with minors in data science, insurance and risk management, quantitative data analytics and mathematics.
- Anastasia Breen (Bay City, Michigan) is in the College of Arts and Letters, James Madison College and the Honors College, majoring in international relations and acting with minors in musical theatre, science, technology and environment and public policy.
- Natalie Chaplin (Howell, Michigan) is in the Eli Broad College of Business and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, majoring in creative advertising with a minor in business.
- Roberto Marcos Garcia (Lansing, Michigan) is in the College of Arts and Letters, College of Social Science and the Honors College, majoring in English, creative writing and sociology with a minor in environmental social science.
- Katherine Goble (Albion, Michigan) is in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, majoring in communication leadership and strategy with a minor in public relations.
- Maddie Hanes (Royal Oak, Michigan) is in the College of Social Science and the Honors College, majoring in political science with minors in law, justice and public policy and women and gender studies.
- Sumaiya Imad (Dhaka, Bangladesh) is in the College of Social Science and the Honors College, majoring in economics with minors in sociology, social science and quantitative data analytics.
- Benjamin Nketsiah (Accra, Ghana) is in the College of Natural Science and the Honors College, majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and biotechnology with a minor in pharmacology and toxicology.
- Shrinidhi Pola (Pleasanton, California) is in Lyman Briggs College, the College of Natural Science and the Honors College, majoring in neuroscience.
- Taylor Regester (West Bloomfield, Michigan) is in the College of Arts and Letters, Eli Broad College of Business and James Madison College, majoring in international relations and Arabic with minors in business and Muslim studies.
- AhJanae Walton (Detroit, Michigan) is in the College of Engineering, majoring in civil engineering.
- Jagger Wraalstad (Fargo, North Dakota) is in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Education and the Honors College, majoring in kinesiology with a minor in leadership in integrated learning.
Student events
Homecoming is filled with spirited activities and campus traditions, creating something for Spartans of every age. Students can also look forward to a lineup of events:
- Healthy Homecoming Walk — Oct. 7, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. (Demonstration Field): Join fellow Spartans for the 11th annual Exercise is Medicine on Campus walk, celebrating wellness and community during Homecoming week. Drop in anytime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to walk or roll laps at your own pace.
- National Pan-Hellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council Homecoming Yard Show — Oct. 9, 7 p.m. (Cobb Great Hall, Wharton Center): The Yard Show is a high-energy showcase where NPHC and MGC fraternities and sororities bring their chapter pride to life through stepping, strolling, saluting, chanting and dancing.
- BLD 100th Anniversary Homecoming Tailgate — Oct. 10 (North Kedzie Hall): The Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program celebrates a century of laboratory science education with an anniversary tailgate. Alumni, faculty and students are invited to reconnect in front of North Kedzie Hall before the football game. Admission details and timing are to be announced.
