Homecoming 2018: A look at the numbers

Thousands of students, families, alumni and community members packed campus Oct. 17-21 as Homecoming 2018 delivered on pep-rallies, shows, gatherings, events and athletics to cap off a memorable weekend.

Homecoming Kick-off on Oct. 17 featured a ferris wheel, pep-rally and food for everyone and had 1,000-plus students, faculty and staff in attendance, while Blizzardshack that evening garnered more than 700 students for rides, games and activities.

The Homecoming comedy show, featuring former “Full House” Uncle Joey star, Dave Coulier, drew a 500-plus crowd.

Four hundred and fifty RSVPs were made for our five alumni reunions and the Alumni Association Awards reception, about five times more than in 2017.

Family Weekend registered 269 students who brought more than 750 guests to campus for the festivities.

Friday featured athletic events starting with women’s soccer shutting out the University of Sioux Falls 2-0 and drawing 292 fans in the route. The pep-rally bonfire saw a turn out of more than 200 before men’s hockey dominated Northern Michigan 4-1 for their first of two weekend games in front of 4,098 fans.

Fan Fest and Huskies football on Saturday saw more than 3,500 people show up to witness an offensive show as the Huskies took down Upper Iowa 34-14, while men’s hockey flexed their way to a 5-0 shutout in front of 4,619 fans. They are ranked second in the nation after the weekend sweep.

The Homecoming 5K Run/Walk along the Beaver Islands Trail had more than 200 participants registered, and saw 151 cross the finish line. 

On Sunday, women’s soccer finished what they started and completed the athletic sweep of the weekend with a 2-0 win over Southwest Minnesota State in front of a crowd of 285. Athletics drew a grand total of 12,865 fans through the five home events.

To cap off the weekend, more than 100 student-athletes gathered Sunday morning to complete a post-Homecoming clean-up throughout campus, organized by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Also during Homecoming, St. Cloud State hosted its biggest open house of the year prospective students and their families attending Discover Red and Black. More than 400 students and their families attended.