Happy Homecoming week, Bears! Highlighted Homecoming events that we think you'll love are collected at the top of this email to help you plan your week. Other campus events happening throughout the week can be found further down the email. If you'd like to see the full schedule of Homecoming 2026 events, click the button below.

Join us at Truett Seminary with Vertical to kick off Homecoming right, with a worship service.

Don't miss the "Best Hour of the Week" Homecoming edition for photo ops and poster give-aways!

This student event is hosted each Homecoming week by the President and First Gent and is free for current students to attend. Waco's favorite food trucks will be lining 3rd and 4th Streets, and students may select from their choice of specialties to receive a free meal to enjoy. Eat, engage in quality time with friends and visit with the Livingstone family as we celebrate the start of Homecoming together.

Each year, for more than 90 years, Mass Meeting has brought to life the spirit of Baylor University, while remembering the Immortal Ten. Join us as we honor them, and light the Eternal Flame. Immediately following, all first-year students join in the building of the Homecoming bonfire – it’s a Homecoming tradition to remember. For a history of Mass Meeting, click HERE. 

The Hurd Welcome Center will transform into Homecoming central for alums returning to campus and for current students too! Click HERE to get a full schedule of events taking place at the Hurd Welcome Center this week!

The Department of Multicultural Affairs welcomes alumni and current students HOME. Stop by from 3:30-5:30 p.m. for free food from our local favorites before you head to the Stroll-Off and Bonfire. 

Extravaganza begins at 6 p.m. and ushers in a night of celebration with all kinds of family-friendly activities, carnival games, some of our favorite Waco food trucks and more. The fun extends from Fountain Mall, up 3rd Street all the way to the Hurd. 

Enter a world of coordination, rhythm, and skill with the annual Royal & Pure Homecoming Stroll-Off. 

The Pep Rally begins at approximately 9 p.m. and features the Golden Wave Marching Band, Spirit Squads, remarks from key leaders, a presentation of the winners of the student-created floats, and a show of school spirit that you will not want to miss!

The Bonfire will begin at approximately 9:45 p.m. Built by the freshman class under the supervision of Baylor’s Chamber of Commerce, the bonfire will be lit by four torchbearers representing each Baylor undergraduate class. A part of Homecoming since it began in 1909, the bonfire is a tradition that unites the Baylor Family and welcomes alumni and friends back home.

Baylor hosts the oldest and largest collegiate homecoming parade in the country. From the beginning, the Baylor Homecoming Parade has been an extraordinary exhibition of spirit and community. Throughout the years, the Parade has featured horse-drawn carriages and wagons, bands, student and civic organizations, dignitaries and more. Student organizations create floats that add to the campus spirit for the upcoming football game, and giant balloons and other participants add to the excitement of the parade. Click HERE to see the parade route.

Head over to McLane stadium to watch the Baylor Bears take on Iowa State during our Homecoming football game!

Stop by the Bobo Spiritual life Center in the morning for free coffee! You’re welcome to stay, hang out, and study, or just take it to go. Coffee is available every Monday–Thursday from 8–10 a.m.

Don't miss the Student Football Ticket drop. Student tickets will be available via your student athletic ticketing account at 4 p.m. every Monday before a football game. The queue begins in the system at 3:30 p.m. For more information on student tickets and how to access your student ticket account, click HERE

Come out and cheer on your Baylor Bears! For more information about Baylor Athletics, click HERE. 

Come out and cheer on your Baylor Bears! For more information about Baylor Athletics, click HERE. 

Health Services will be hosting Carter BloodCare on campus for our first ever Homecoming Blood Drive. In celebration of Homecoming, we have partnered with some wonderful sponsors to make this event even more special:

Join author and professor Bruce Longenecker in discussion with professor Mikeal Parsons about Longenecker’s new book, “The Materiality of Early Christ Devotion: Artistic Innovation at Four Archaeological Sites,” which examines Christian art in the first three centuries. For more information, click HERE.

National First-Generation College Celebration Day is November 8th! This year, we are celebrating in conjunction with the homecoming celebrations with a First-In-Line Homecoming Tailgate Kick-Off! Join us on Fountain Mall in front of Sid Richardson Building to get to know First-in-Line students, play tailgate games, enjoy refreshments, and enter giveaways!

Want to build strong credit? Join us for free pizza and learn what a credit score is, what affects it, how to build credit responsibly in college, what to look for when comparing credit cards, and how to avoid common fees and mistakes.

Empower Hour is a time set aside to empower students on their wellness journey through fun and physical activity. A brief devotional will also be shared to start the hour off on the right foot. Come join Chaplain Katie from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Loressin Room 214 in the SUB on Tuesday, November 3rd for an active, intentional hour of fun!

Feast on a South Korean menu including chicken bulgogi, pajeon, and gochujang cookies! Stay for a night of serenading as we create a Korean-inspired Karaoke room! Sing your heart out with new friends and make memories! For more information, click HERE.

Take a class break and join us for "What's Poppin Wednesday"! Join the MA staff this Wednesday in the SUB CUB from 3-4 p.m. Learn the house rules for UNO, enjoy some fun games, snacks and popcorn.  

Want to go on a Baylor mission during the May Minimester? Apply by this Wednesday for priority consideration. Submit your applications here! 

Earn your chapel credit abroad on a pilgrimage with Spiritual Life! This year, we have groups hiking El Camino de Santiago in Spain, or visiting various Holy Sites throughout Rome. These trips and accompanying chapel course can count for up to two chapel credits. Interested? Apply for Spain here and apply for Rome here. 

Come out and cheer on your Baylor Bears! For more information about Baylor Athletics, click HERE. 

Come out and cheer on your Baylor Bears! For more information about Baylor Athletics, click HERE. 

Come out and cheer on your Baylor Bears! For more information about Baylor Athletics, click HERE. 

Come out and cheer on your Baylor Bears! For more information about Baylor Athletics, click HERE. 

Come out and cheer on your Baylor Bears! For more information about Baylor Athletics, click HERE. 

It’s win or go home! The competition is heating up as teams battle it out for the championship. Who will take home the title?

Grab your teammates and hit the court for 3v3 Basketball! Compete against other teams in this fast-paced intramural tournament. Sign up HERE!

Last call to toss your way into the competition! Gather your teammate, claim your spot, and get ready to go head-to-head in Baylor Intramural Cornhole. Sign up HERE!

Last chance to get in the game! Grab a teammate, sign up, and get ready to serve, spike, and compete in Baylor Intramural Spikeball. Sign up HERE!

Tickets are still available to watch the 2026 Homecoming parade from the best seats available. Enjoy secure seating and a free bottle of water by sitting in the grandstands! Proceeds from the grandstands go to student scholarships. Buy tickets here before they sell out.

If you are interested in acting as Mary or Joseph in the live nativity scene outside of the SUB during Christmas on 5th Street, please contact alyssa_guajardosali1@baylor.edu to secure your spot! Shifts will be 1 hour each from 5-9 p.m.

Have an event idea? Let's make it happen! Baylor Activities Council is looking for new partners to bring an exciting new event to the Baylor Community this Spring semester. Currently we help plan some of the most recognizable events on Baylor, such as Christmas on 5th, Fright Night, and Chili Cook-Off and Bed Races! We can help bring your organization's existing event or new event idea to life through logistical planning, marketing, and up to $5,000 in additional funding! Applications are open until the end of October and can be submitted HERE. If you have any questions please reach out to Hannah_Tanner1@Baylor.edu

Baylor, SMU, TCU, and UTA are teaming up for the Lone Star LeaderShape® Institute! This fully funded leadership development experience will be held at the Lakeview Retreat Center in Waxahatchie, TX on January 6-10th! If you are interested in developing your unique leadership style and making connections with student leaders and emerging leaders from different campuses, this is the opportunity for you! You can learn more about the LeaderShape organization here. You can also email leadership@baylor.edu for more information!

Spaces are limited, so applications received by November 8 will be given priority consideration. Apply Today!

Sign up for an LCG 101 session to explore how personal values and leadership habits empower us to faithfully and authentically lead for the common good. All students, especially leaders or those interested in leadership, are invited to attend this free event! Click HERE to RSVP and reach out to leadership@baylor.edu with any questions. This session counts toward completion of the Certificate in Experiential Leadership. Click here to learn more or enroll today!

Click the graphic to learn more. 

Grab a FitPass for just $50 (students) or $60 (faculty, staff & faculty spouses) and try the new F45 HYROX class along with all your favorite group fitness offerings all semester long. Get a FitPass HERE.

If you are a department or Baylor student organization and have items you would like to see appear in What's New BU, submit them for consideration by Friday at 8 a.m. by clicking here or emailing them to whatsnew@baylor.edu. View past issues of What’s New BU here. 

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