In the minds of many collegians across the nation, homecoming is synonymous with a home football game. In 2011, however, DePauw's Old Gold Weekend and homecoming celebration will not coincide.
Due to the university changing athletic conferences from the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference to the North Coast Athletic Conference, the DePauw football team is having difficulties scheduling home football games for the 2011 season, and therefore had to settle for a homecoming weekend without a home football game. The DePauw Tigers will face the Austin College Kangaroos on Oct. 29, the day that the university selected as the final day of Old Gold Weekend.
Head football coach Robby Long said although the team has not discussed the situation, he believes that the team takes pride in playing in front of a home crowd.
"They're probably disappointed that they don't get to perform in front of the fans and alumni who come back," he said.
Although homecoming won't be during a home football weekend, Long said, he hopes that alumni and fans still come support the Tigers during their three home games next fall.
"We take each game and make each game our own Super Bowl," Long said. "We'd love for the community, the university, and alumni to come out and see us at home."
The weekend's festivities have included a parade and the crowning of an Old Gold King and Queen in the past, but the future of these traditions is uncertain.
Sophomore Nora Murphy was in charge of planning the 2010 Old Gold festivities for Union Board, and she says that they are unsure what approach they will take towards Old Gold this fall.
Union Board is currently considering two options for the 2011 crowning of the Old Gold King and Queen, Murphy said: either hosting "DeProm" on Old Gold weekend or announcing the winners at another sporting event during the weekend.
"Our perspective right now is that trying to do DeProm on Old Gold is our biggest goal," Murphy said. "We had over 500 people there on a random weekend this year, and it wasn't during Old Gold. I definitely don't think we should lose the tradition of Old Gold King and Queen just because there's not a football game."
As for the parade, Murphy said she isn't sure what will happen.
"We worked really hard this past fall to take it over and restart it in a sense," she said. "We were hoping for it to go, but I'm not sure how many people are going to want to get out of bed to watch a parade."
As for the football team, regardless of where they are playing during Old Gold Weekend, they are looking at each game as a special experience.
"There's an aspect to each game that's special," Long said. "There are some negatives, but the team decided that they want to be great. That's what we're focusing on."