This year’s Multicultural Homecoming Tailgate and Watch Party on Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Pyle Center in the heart of the UW-Madison campus will be a chance to connect with alumni, students, staff and faculty at a fun-filled tailgate party before the Badger Homecoming game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
“During the event, alumni, students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to connect while enjoying the Homecoming game versus Rutgers,” Gia Gallimore, senior director of diverse alumni engagement at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA), tells Madison365. “This year’s festivities allow attendees to mix, mingle, and cheer while enjoying a variety of food and beverage options, yard games, interactive photobooth, and more.”
The Badgers and Scarlet Knights will kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium in a Homecoming game that will be televised by Peacock. Both teams come into the game with 3-1 records. The Badgers won the last meeting between the two teams on the road by a score of 52-3.
“The Multicultural Homecoming Tailgate and Watch Party has become a special tradition, thanks to the collaboration among campus partners and alumni volunteers,” Sarah Schutt, Chief Alumni Officer of the Wisconsin Alumni Association, tells Madison365. “The Wisconsin Alumni Association is where all Badgers belong, and we’re pleased to co-sponsor this opportunity for community and celebration among alumni and students of color.”
This is a special year for UW-Madison, which is celebrating its 175th anniversary. The Wisconsin Alumni Association will be celebrating this milestone with a Wisconsin State Tour (summer 2024 dates forthcoming) to highlight the impact of UW throughout the state.
The Multicultural Homecoming Tailgate and Watch Party first began in the fall of 2017, Gallimore says. “It originated as a collaboration between UW Athletics, The Wisconsin Club, the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement (DDEEA), Black Cultural Center, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA),” she adds.
The tailgate party will start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and attendees can stick around to root for the Badgers in a comfortable, spacious setting at the fan-friendly game-watch event. This year’s festivities will allow attendees to mix, mingle, and cheer while enjoying a variety of food and beverage options, yard games, and more.
“The event is intended to create community among alumni and students of color, but we welcome anyone who is interested in attending,” Gallimore says.
The Multicultural Homecoming is held in partnership with the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association Homecoming Committee.
“The goal of the event is to create a space for alumni and students of color to build community — while also cheering on the Badgers,” Gallimore says.
