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Oklahoma State and Alumni Association Postpone 2020 Homecoming Events Due to COVID-19

Oklahoma State and the Alumni Association have decided to postpone the events of the 2020 Homecoming celebration to the fall of 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State alumni and fans will have to wait until the  fall 2021 to celebrate the 100th edition America's Greatest Homecoming.

According to a release from OSU's Alumni Association, the 2020 Homecoming celebration scheduled for the week of Oct. 26-31 has been postponed until the fall of 2021.

“The Alumni Association understands the yearly return to the campus is a highlight for many OSU alumni and fans,” said Tony LoPresto, Alumni Association board chair. “While we understand this decision will disappoint many Cowboys, we want to ensure Homecoming events can be enjoyed in a safe manner and that the centennial celebration is hosted in such a way that is representative of this one-of-a-kind OSU tradition.”

The decision to postpone the festivities was made the Alumni Association Board of Directors in conjunction with Oklahoma State, the OSU Athletic Department, OSU Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and the City of Stillwater.

The group also announced the decision to postpone the Homecoming festivities is unrelated to the football game. Oklahoma State is still scheduled to host Texas Tech on Saturday, Oct. 31.

This announcement pertains only to Homecoming festivities hosted by the Alumni Association, including the Harvest Carnival and Chili Cook-Off, Hester Street Painting, Walkaround, Homecoming and Hoops, and the Sea of Orange Parade. Due to the nature of these events, the Alumni Association would not be able to accurately monitor capacity or social distancing measures for the tens of thousands of alumni and students who regularly attend them.

“OSU’s nationally recognized Homecoming event is entirely student run, and a number of measures have been put in place for the fall 2020 semester to protect students both on and off campus,” said Rob McInturf, Alumni Association president. “These measures are vital to our students’ well-being, and we did not want to compromise their health for the Homecoming experience. America’s Greatest Homecoming is worth the wait.”

Oklahoma State's Homecoming celebration is considered the largest in the country as it brings in close to 100,000 alumni and fans to Stillwater and the campus. The fraternities and sororities spend countless hours building elaborate and massive house decks as seen in the photo below.

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The Big 12 Board of Directors is set to make a decision on the upcoming 2020 football season on Monday, Aug. 3. There are multiple options on the table including playing a conference-only schedule like the Big 10, Pac-12 and SEC, as well as playing nine conference games and one non-conference game.

The SEC announced last week they were pushing the start of its 2020 season back to Sept. 26, so it's possible the Big 12 could also alter the dates of its season as well.