The Student Athletic Advisory Committee, in coordination with the Department of Athletics, is planning an Athletic Reunion Weekend for next fall, tentatively scheduled for the weekend of September 19-20, when the football team will play against Coast Guard.
“I think it’s a great idea. It’s something that almost every [school] has. We’re excited about it and will do what we can to help make it a success,” said football Head Coach Joe King.
On September 19, a dinner will be held in the McNeil Room for current RPI athletes and all alumni who have participated in Rensselaer varsity athletics. Director of Athletics Ken Ralph will be the dinner’s keynote speaker.
“We really want to reconnect with all of our alumni,” said Ralph.
Afterward, a concert and additional evening festivities hosted by the Clubhouse Pub and fraternities will be held from 9 pm to 11 pm.
The next day, current and former RPI atheletes will participate in some sort of sporting event, the details of which are still being worked out, according to Atheletic Student Advisory Committee chair Allison Geer. Some of the ideas currently underconsideration include scrimmages, clinics, and contests.
Prior to Saturday’s football game, alumni will participate in a tailgate party held in the area of North Lot directly across the street from the ’87 Field. Each team will have a designated area of the lot at which their alumni and current athletes will line up. The alumni will then be honored at a halftime ceremony.
Following the football game, the remainder of team events will be held from 3-6 pm, and the Alumni Reunion Weekend will close out with an evening of entertainment that might include a comedy act and a movie.
Campus tours, activities for young children, and additional events are also in the process of being planned for the weekend by Red and White, the Office of the First Year Experience, the Union, the Department of Athletics, and other campus organizations.
