SIUE 2026 Homecoming and Family Weekend
September 29, 2026, 10:00 AM
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville celebrated the Route 66 centennial during Homecoming & Family Weekend, Sept. 23-27. The five-day celebration with the theme of “All Roads Lead Home” brought students, alumni, families and community members together for campus traditions, live music, a first-of-its-kind drone show and Cougar athletics.
The Stratton Quad was the place to be Friday evening as COUGARFEST: Rock the Quad! brought live music from Jackson & Mars, food trucks and family-friendly activities to campus. The evening took a turn skyward when more than 450 illuminated drones rose above Lovejoy Library, creating an aerial display celebrating SIUE and historic Route 66—a first ever show for the City of Edwardsville, made possible through a grant from the Route 66 Centennial Commission.
The next morning, the Quad welcomed runners and supporters for the 11th annual Cougars Unleashed Homecoming Run and Pancake Breakfast, an annual event supporting SIUE scholarships and Alumni Association’s programming. Participants took part in the 5K, 10K and 1-mile Fun Run before gathering for pancakes.
Saturday afternoon brought another celebration of Route 66 to campus with the new Paws on Route 66 Car Show. Held alongside the Cougar Fan Zone at the Korte East Parking Lot, the event added a car show to the Homecoming festivities, which also featured live music, food trucks, the Alumni & Friends Tent and activities for families.
The Homecoming celebration continued at Korte Stadium, where 2,766 fans watched SIUE men’s soccer open Ohio Valley Conference play with a 3-1 victory over Southern Indiana. Ryley Gibbs put the Cougars on the scoreboard less than two minutes into the match. After Southern Indiana tied the game, Dom Bartoni converted a penalty kick early in the second half, and Ben Perkins added a late goal to secure the win.
SIUE women’s soccer kept the momentum going Sunday, closing Homecoming Weekend with a 4-2 victory over Eastern Illinois in the team’s conference opener. The Cougars’ “66ers” match also celebrated Alumni Day and Girl Scouts Day. Claire Nieroda scored twice, while Imogene Joseph and MaryClaire Imig added a goal apiece.
With more than 20 events and countless smiles, SIUE’s Homecoming & Family Weekend was the perfect destination for Cougar nation.
Photos by Howard Ash
