Breaking News:

The pageantry and excitement of Homecoming will return to Marshall University beginning Monday, Sept. 25, and culminating with the crowning of Mr. and Miss Marshall at halftime during the game against Old Dominion University on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Slotted between early-season matchups against Virginia Tech and North Carolina State, this year’s celebration will mark the earliest Homecoming has come to the Huntington campus since a victory over Toledo in the 1977 Homecoming game on Sept. 24.

“Homecoming is such an integral part of the Marshall University calendar for our alumni, our supporters and our student population,” said Matt James, executive director of the Marshall University Alumni Association. “It is a unique time where the entire Marshall family comes together to celebrate the rich history and proud traditions of our university. And this year we are excited to shake things up a bit with an earlier date right in the heart of the schedule. So, mark your calendars and join us in September for as many events as your schedule will allow as we prepare for another wonderful week of Homecoming activities.”

Several pillar Homecoming events will highlight the weeklong celebration, including the annual Unity Walk, Homecoming Parade, Picnic on the Plaza and numerous tailgates and gatherings everyone back to Joan C. Edwards Stadium for Homecoming 2023 on Sept. 30,” said Athletic Director Christian Spears. “The Sun Belt schedule has offered us a unique opportunity for a late September Homecoming game against a familiar conference foe in ODU. We look forward to seeing all of Herd Nation join us at The Joan for a beautiful day of football on Sept. 30!” throughout the day on Sept. 30. The week will conclude with the Thundering Herd taking on the Old Dominion Monarchs in a Sun Belt Conference matchup at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

The Thundering Herd is coming off a 9-4 season, highlighted by a historic win over Notre Dame and a victory in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Marshall finished third in the East Division during its inaugural season in the Sun Belt Conference.

Since the opening of The Joan in 1990, Marshall is 27-6 in Homecoming games and 9-1 over its past 10 games. This season will mark the third time the Monarchs have come to Huntington as the Homecoming opponent, with the Herd taking victories in 2021 and 2017.

“We are super-excited to welcome

For more information about Marshall’s 2023 Homecoming celebrations, watch future issues of Marshall Magazine, contact the Marshall University Alumni Association at 304-6963424, or for ticket information call 1-800-THE-HERD.

Greetings, Fellow Alumni and Friends of Marshall University:

What an exciting time to be a part of the Marshall University family!

When we last shared an update with you late in 2022, we were just wrapping up Marshall Rises, the largest, most ambitious comprehensive campaign in the history of Marshall University. Now, we are excited to enter a brand-new era right here in our very own alumni department.

In the fall we had the privilege of welcoming Mr. Matt James as the new executive director of alumni relations, overseeing all aspects of alumni outreach and growth here at Marshall. You can read more about Matt and his journey to this new role in the following pages of this issue of the Marshall Magazine, but we wanted to take this opportunity to welcome Matt to the team and share with all of you what comes next.

There are a number of areas that will be tackled immediately that will help improve the overall alumni experience, while also providing our alums with a real purpose and opportunity to give back to their alma mater. Headlining that charge will be a concerted effort to expand our alumni chapter network to heights never seen before.

Alumni chapters are an important part of Marshall University. These regional and affinity-based chapters provide alumni with the means to stay connected to Marshall, while offering unique events and opportunities to give back to the university and connect, all in the name of our shared alma mater. We are actively in the process of reaching out to our current chapters, as well as chapters that fell on hard times during the pandemic and brand-new chapters that are popping up across the country. Our goal is to develop a strong network of chapters around the world that can answer the call and help improve the experience for the students of Marshall.

Another area of focus for the new-look alumni office is a renewed focus on connecting with and reaching our young alumni population. This goal ties in closely with the previous goal as we help our new graduates and young alums connect to pockets of alumni and regional and affinity-based chapters no matter where they go. This effort will also include new ways to get young alumni involved, either through volunteer opportunities, exciting new events or chances to serve through outlets such as the Marshall University Alumni Association national board of directors.

The final immediate focus is expanded outreach efforts across our entire alumni population. This includes researching new and expanding current methods of outreach to keep alumni engaged and informed. That includes traditional methods such as this very magazine and new outlets such as the monthly alumni newsletter, our social media and even a new website.

Above all, as we gear up for a new era in alumni relations, we want to hear from you! If you have any suggestions, ideas or comments about the alumni experience at Marshall University, you can reach out any time at alumni@marshall.edu. We look forward to growing together.

Until next time, Godspeed and GO HERD!

Best Regards, Marshall University Office of Alumni

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