This year's Homecoming theme at the University of North Alabama is Cheers to 50 Years!

UNA Homecoming Celebrates Significant Milestones

Sep. 14, 2023



Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@36837a.com, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – Homecoming at the University of North Alabama is set for Sept. 29-30, with some new and returning events on the schedule that celebrate this year’s theme: Cheers to 50 Years! 

“This year’s Homecoming weekend is sure to be filled with nostalgia, fellowship, and Lion Pride,” said Justin “Bishop” Alexander, Alumni Relations Director. “Homecoming offers alumni and friends of the University an opportunity to reconnect with classmates, forge new connections with faculty and students, and to relive the vibrant spirit of UNA.” 

So what’s new? On Sept. 30, as the Lions take on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels as part of the Gold Rush game, fans are asked to wear gold and help cheer the home team on to victory. On Sept. 29, UNA alumni and friends will enjoy the second Alumni Celebration where they’ll get an exclusive peek at some exciting University news and toast to several University anniversaries, including 50 years of fraternity and sorority life, 50 years of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 50 years of the student ambassador tradition, and the UNA name itself. 

These events are part of what will also take place, including the annual Homecoming parade down Court Street, with Lunch on the Lawn immediately following at Rogers Hall; tailgating with the Lions Homecoming Reunion on Spirit Hill; and the Homecoming Pep Rally. 

“We are equally as excited about this years Homecoming Award winners,” said Alexander. “Each individual is representative of the UNA brand and how it can take our students to success on a much larger stage as part of their professional lives.” 

This year’s Homecoming Award winners are:

  • Lifetime Achievement: Carol Lyles Reeves ’70, of Florence.
  • Alumni of the Year: Stacy Suggs ’90, of Tuscumbia.
  • Friend of the University: Macke and Kimberly Mauldin ’94, of Florence.
  • Military Service: Scott Milliet ’10, of Lakeland, Tenn.
  • Public Service: Peggy Smith Bush ’84, Orlando, Fla.
  • Educator of the Year (K-12): Dax Glover ’10, Iuka, Miss.
  • Educator of the Year (Higher Education): Andrea Porter ’96, Jacksonville.
  • Community Service: Bethany Green ’10, Florence.
  • Faculty Alumni Service: Amanda Hitt ’04, Leighton.
  • Staff Alumni Service: Jill Chambers ’01, ’17, Killen. 
  • Young Alumni Service: Abigail Gaddy '16, '19, Florence. 

Registration for participation in Homecoming, including the Alumni Celebration and the annual parade, is open. For the parade, visit this link, and for the Alumni Celebration, visit this link. Details about both events are available there. The Homecoming game kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Braly Stadium.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: 36837a.com and 36837a.com/unaworks/.