NC A&T And WSSU Cancel Homecoming 2020 Celebrations
Greensboro, NC — Two Triad HBCUs — North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) — announced Thursday (June 18) that homecoming celebrations planned for the fall have been canceled amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, WSSU officials said they made their decision based on guidance from public health officials, feedback from alumni, and the university’s concern for the health and well-being of their community.
The weeklong celebration, originally slated for Sept. 13-19, was expected to bring more than 10,000 people to the campus to participate in nearly 40 events.
Officials said they wanted to make their decision early enough for people to change their travel plans for September.
Depending on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, university leaders hope to invite alumni and friends to an event in the spring.
North Carolina A&T also announced that it will forgo all in-person homecoming activities with the exception of the football game this fall.
“After a great deal of discussion, we believe this difficult decision is the appropriate route to mitigate and reduce the potential spread of COVID-19,” said Teresa Davis, associate vice chancellor for Alumni Relations. “Although we are deeply disappointed we will not be able to honor this highly-anticipated tradition, we believe if we make the necessary sacrifices now, we hope to be able to see everyone next year, with even more anticipation, excitement, and enthusiasm.”
The football game is scheduled to take place Oct. 31 with reduced fan capacity, pending state restrictions.
A&T’s weeklong celebration traditionally draws total attendance of more than 100,000 to its long schedule of events and has an economic impact estimated by local municipal officials of more than $10 million on the Greensboro economy, with visitors coming in from across the state and around the country.
While the university is carefully considering other opportunities for virtual celebrations, none have been solidified at this moment.