Ship Homecoming 2025

Athletic Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon
12:30PM, Tuscarora Room, Reisner Dining

The Hall of Fame recognizes former student-athletes who were the epitome of athletic excellence and who continue to exemplify the Raider spirit as proud alumni. We’ll be recognizing Ray Ellis ’53 (posthumous), (football, track & field), Kerri (Hopkins) Gehring ’02 (lacrosse), Amanda (Raudabaugh) Geier ’12-’15M (track & field, cross country), Mark Murphy ’07 (wrestling), Briana (White) Schwarz ’14 (field hockey), Katrina Spratford-Sterling ’13 (track & field, cross country), and Matt Wright ’10 (baseball). Tickets required, adults/$29, children/$14. To secure tickets, please email taswop@ship.edu or call 717-477-1711.

Alumni Awards of Distinction Reception & Dinner
5:00PM reception, 5:45PM dinner; Tuscarora Room, Reisner Dining Hall
With over 70,000 alumni living across the country and living internationally, one can imagine the successes achieved and the impacts being made by graduates of Shippensburg University every day in their professional fields, in their lives, and in their communities. The Shippensburg University Alumni Awards of Distinction are presented annually to alumni in the categories of Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Young Alumni, Lifetime Achievement, Cultural Impact and Exceptional Service. The 2025 Alumni Awards of Distinction will be presented to:

• Recipients of the Jesse S. Heiges Distinguished Alumni Award: Edward E. Brown '82, Jerome M. Dean '82, Lee Adams Kuhn '87
• Outstanding Young Alumni: Jeremiah N. Greenland, P.G. '07-'09M, Dr. Adam B. Oldham '10-'13M, Kady E. Taylor '12
• Cultural Impact: Kimberly (Manning) Ursetta '94
• Lifetime Achievement: Robert Emmett Hamill '79
• Exceptional Service: David '80 and Laurie (Schultz) '79-'86M Morgan

Please join us in celebrating our 2025 award recipients. Purchase tickets on-line or call the Office of Alumni Relations at 717-477-1218.

MSA Alumni Kickback in the AM
9PM - 11PM, Gilbert Hall
Just for alumni, stop by Gilbert Hall beginning at 9PM to catch up with friends.

46th Annual SU ROTC 5K or 10K Run
Time TBA, Starts across from ShipRec
Proceeds benefit the SU Military Science Department and the Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness. Race Information coming soon.

Homecoming Parade
10:00AM, on-campus @10:30AM

The parade steps off in town at 10:00AM on King Street and enters campus from Prince Street at approximately 10:30AM. The parade will travel on Adams Drive to Cumberland Drive and disband after passing the Ceddia Union Building (CUB). Bring a blanket or chair and grab a seat to watch the parade. The Alumni Association Board of Directors will be handing out pom poms and bracelets along the parade route so be sure to arrive early and line King and Prince Street, as well as Adams and Cumberland Drives!

SEEKING parade entries! Alumni, students, and departments are encouraged to enter! Get your friend group together, clubs and organizations too! Enter a walking unit or decorate a vehicle. Don’t miss the fun and prizes! Complete the parade entry registration form. (coming soon)

Raider Fan Zone- SU Tailgate
Tailgate lots open at 10:00AM | Behind Seth Grove Stadium

The Ship Experience is more than four years – it lasts a lifetime! Attend Homecoming 2025 and enjoy the Ship Experience with alumni, family, and friends.

Pick up your Ship alumni giveaways, register for door prizes, and enjoy lite snacks and refreshments at the Alumni Tent including hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy, and popcorn (while supplies lasts). In the pedestrian tailgate lot, reconnect with academic departments, faculty, and student organizations in this tent only tailgate area.  Be prepared - Review the tailgate policy online. Tailgating must conclude and lots vacated two hours after the football game ends.

• Arcade-style Photo Booth 11AM - 2PM
• Face painting 11AM - 1PM
• Interactive Games
• Dunk Tank 11AM - 2:30PM
  • Donate for a cause and purchase your ball to try to dunk the brothers of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Dunk Tank located in the pedestrian tailgate lot. Near the end goal post closest to Route 696.

**Register your academic dept or student/alumni organization for the pedestrian tailgate lot, click on Tailgate Information below to get all the info. 

Football Game 1:00PM vs. Lock Haven

Field Hockey 2:00PM vs. Mansfield

Half-time Programming

• SU Marching Band Performance
• Homecoming royalty crowning
• Raiders Club Tuition Raffle

Post-Game Programming
Stay immediately after the game to catch the full postgame SU Marching Band Performance.

Twitty & Lynn
7:30PM, Luhrs Performing Arts Center
A Salute to Conway & Loretta
There’s a moment right at the very beginning of any Twitty & Lynn show that affords country music fans the chance to look back in time. Just after the band has played the signature intro to “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man,” Tre Twitty and Tayla Lynn shoot each other a glance that summons the electrifying chemistry of their grandparents: Tre is the grandson of Conway Twitty, Tayla is the granddaughter of Loretta Lynn. Purchase your tickets or call the box office at 717-477-7469.

Homecoming Step Show 
Memorial Auditorium. Doors open at 7:00PM. Show at 8:00PM
Watch stepping groups take the stage to demonstrate their tradition and pride within each fraternity and sorority. Stepping is an expression of African American and Multicultural Greeks culture. It is synchronized movements and chants reminiscent of drill teams. Hosted by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

Harmonic Voices of Truth Worship Service - 11:00AM
Old Main Chapel, Shippensburg University

Directions

Homecoming is held on Ship's campus, located at:

Shippensburg University
1871 Old Main Dr., 
Shippensburg, PA 17257

Driving Directions (Google Maps)

Parking

Campus parking map

Getting Here (Items to note)

Saturday - King Street (from Fayette St. to Prince St.) and Prince Street to campus will be closed beginning at 10AM for the Homecoming parade. The parade travels along King Street turning left onto Prince Street, right onto Adams Drive, and left onto Cumberland Dr. making its way to the Ceddia Union Building (CUB). Adams Drive and Cumberland Drive will close while the parade passes starting at approx. 10:30AM. Parade will disband after passing the CUB. King and Prince Streets will reopen as the parade passes thru. Parade arrives on campus at approx. 10:30AM

PLEASE NOTE!! Tailgate parking directions: Due to road closures on campus, if you are arriving to tailgate from your vehicle in one of the approved tailgate lots, you MUST enter campus using Britton Road to Fogelsanger Road to Burd Run Dr. and turn right on Adams Dr. to reach the tailgate lot. (See campus map above.)

When you arrive on campus, vehicles arriving via Adams Dr. (instructions above), will be lined up in the Storage Parking lot (Lot L-1). At 10AM, those lined up in this lot will then be permitted to enter the tailgate lot behind Seth Grove Stadium. **Do not use the Courtyard Marriott entrance to access tailgate parking. Access to the tailgate lot via the Marriott entrance will not be permitted until those lined up in advance for entrance have all been released.

Parking Lot Rules for behind Seth Grove Stadium

• One parking space per vehicle
• No saving of parking spaces. Wish to tailgate together? - Arrive together.
• Parking behind Seth Grove is for cars only - no trailers or pull behinds. Refer to the tailgate policy for RV parking information.
• Lot opens to vehicles at 10AM. Access to the Raider Zone for tailgating is via the Baseball Access Road. Prior to 10AM, vehicles arriving will be directed/stage in the storage parking lot (Lot L-1). At 10AM, vehicles staged in Lot L-1 will be directed into the Raider Zone for parking- this includes Raider Club parking.
• Only lawful consumption of alcohol is permitted.
• Tailgating ends two hours after the game.
  
  

Parade Viewing

View the parade starting on Fayette St. near Maxie's, along King Street between Fayette St (Arooga's) and Prince St., and Prince Street and onto campus up to the Ceddia Union Building (CUB). Grab your friend group and complete the parade entry form to register to be in the parade!

Lodging

For your convenience, area-lodging options may be found at ship.edu/visit/lodging, including the Courtyard by Marriott Shippensburg, which is adjacent to campus. For answers to your questions, contact us at alumni@ship.edu or 717-477-1218 to speak to an alumni representative.

Know the Tailgate Policy

The Alumni Relations Office is hosting their annual tailgate in the Raider Fan Zone with hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, cotton candy, popcorn, and soft beverages (all while supplies last). Stop by to pick up your Shippensburg University alumni giveaways, register for door prizes, and update your alumni information. All-ages fun - face painting, an arcade-style photo booth, games, and a dunk tank all behind Seth Grove Stadium in our Alumni Tailgate Raider Fan Zone. Fit your friends in the photo booth and print out your keepsake photo strip. 

Register your Academic Dept or Student Club (coming soon) Pedestrian only tailgate spots may be requested by university departments, student clubs, and alumni clubs/organizations. These spots are located behind Seth Grove Stadium in the Raider Fan Zone. This is a pedestrian lot. You are requesting a reserved space suitable for you to bring your own pop-up tent. One table is provided per group. Large groups and/or two or more groups that combine will be given two or more reserved spaces.

Registered Tailgate Groups: Check out the clubs, organizations, and departments that will be hosting tailgate spots behind Seth Grove Stadium. Locate them behind the stadium to say Hi!

PLEASE NOTE!! Tailgate parking directions: Due to road closures on campus, if you are arriving to tailgate from your vehicle in one of the approved tailgate lots, you MUST enter campus using Britton Road to Fogelsanger Road to Burd Run Dr. and turn right on Adams Dr. to reach the tailgate lot. (See campus map link below.)

When you arrive on campus, vehicles arriving via Adams Dr. (instructions above), will be lined up in the Storage Parking lot (Lot L-1). At 10AM, those lined up in this lot will then be permitted to enter the tailgate lot behind Seth Grove Stadium. **Do not use the Courtyard Marriott entrance to access tailgate parking. Access to the tailgate lot via the Marriott entrance will not be permitted until those lined up in advance for entrance have all been released.

Parking Lot Rules for behind Seth Grove Stadium

Campus parking map

• One parking space per vehicle
• No saving of parking spaces. Wish to tailgate together? - Arrive together.
• Parking behind Seth Grove is for cars only - no trailers or pull behinds. Refer to the tailgate policy for RV parking information.
• Lot opens to vehicles at 10AM. Access to the Raider Zone for tailgating is via the Baseball Access Road. Prior to 10AM, vehicles arriving will be directed/stage in the storage parking lot (Lot L-1). At 10AM, vehicles staged in Lot L-1 will be directed into the Raider Zone for parking- this includes Raider Club parking.
• Only lawful consumption of alcohol is permitted.
• Tailgating ends two hours after the game.