GREENSBORO, N.C. — North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University began a 100-day countdown Friday to the centennial edition of its famed homecoming, a weeklong event that university leaders expect will bring at least 150,000 visitors to the city.
What organizers announced
University officials said the celebration will run from Sunday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 1, with key events — including the homecoming parade, the football game and a headline hip-hop concert — all slated for Saturday, Oct. 31, coinciding with Halloween. Leaders also released several early logistical dates: hotel room blocks for alumni and the public will open July 27, and individual tickets for the homecoming football game against Elon University and other Aggie home games will go on sale Aug. 3.
“Homecoming is special at every college and university, but A&T homecoming is in a league of its own,” Chancellor James R. Martin II said during the virtual kickoff.
Officials said they will announce musicians and headliners for alumni and student events in the coming weeks.
Scale and stakes for Greensboro and the state
What began in 1926 at a small, segregated campus has grown into a modern, national-scale event. As North Carolina’s first public college for Black students, A&T has evolved into the nation’s largest historically Black university. Its homecoming is a major cultural and economic engine for Greensboro and the surrounding Piedmont region, drawing large numbers of alumni, students and visitors for concerts, pep rallies, alumni dinners and community parties spread across the city.
City leaders and businesses typically prepare months in advance for the influx of visitors, coordinating public safety, traffic control and hospitality services. The university’s announcement kicks off that operational timeline for 2026.
Key dates and early deadlines
| Date | Item |
|---|---|
| July 27 | A&T room blocks in partner hotels open to public and alumni |
| Aug. 3 | Individual football game tickets on sale (homecoming vs. Elon) |
| Oct. 25–Nov. 1 | Centennial Homecoming week |
| Oct. 31 | Parade, football game and hip-hop concert (Halloween) |
The university emphasized that additional event lineups, including headline entertainers, will be released at a later date.
What residents and visitors should know
- Expect increased demand for hotel rooms, restaurants and transportation during the week of Oct. 25–Nov. 1.
- Large-scale events will occur across multiple Greensboro locations rather than on a single campus site, affecting traffic and parking patterns.
- Ticket and accommodation purchase deadlines are approaching; interested attendees should monitor university channels for performer announcements and ticket links.
The centennial celebration offers a moment to reflect on a century of change: from a modest 1926 homecoming attended by a small alumni base to a national event that attracts at least six figures of visitors. For Guilford County and the state, the week represents both a cultural showcase and a logistical test. Planning now will determine whether the centennial lives up to its billing as the "Greatest Homecoming on Earth."
Trevor Sloan is the North Carolina correspondent for News Block.
