Media Advisory: UB Homecoming week festivities include car smashing, inflatable obstacle course and, of course, a football game

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Rambunctious nerds, car smashing, an inflatable obstacle course and a big bonfire. Yep, it’s Homecoming week at the University at Buffalo.

UB will celebrate Homecoming and Family Weekend Sept. 29 through Oct. 6 with a full slate of events, capped by Saturday’s Homecoming football game and Mid-American Conference opener against the Ohio Bobcats. The festivities get underway Sept. 29 with the kickoff of Spirit Week, organized by the UB Student Association.

Media are invited to cover the events. Highlights include:

Sunday, Sept. 29

• Student Union window painting, noon to 4 p.m. Clubs and organizations will paint the large windows that line the entrance to the Student Union on the North Campus.
• Fall Food Fest, 3-7 p.m. Western New York restaurants and food trucks will serve hungry students at this festival along Lee Road near the University Bookstore.

Tuesday, Oct. 1

• Car smash, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., outside the Student Union. Students will relieve some stress by taking a sledgehammer to an old car painted with the Ohio Bobcats logo and colors.

Wednesday, Oct. 2

• Inflatable obstacle course, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Student Union Field. Participants will journey through 40 feet of tunnels, pop-ups and other obstacles.

Thursday, Oct. 3

• Chicken wing eating contest, noon, Student Union lobby. Joey Chestnut won’t be there, but students will try to eat as many wings as possible in under a minute to be crowned the champion.

Friday, Oct. 4

• SA Carnival, 5-9 p.m., Lee Road next to the University Bookstore. It’s UB’s oldest homecoming tradition. The carnival will feature live entertainment, rides, games, prizes and food.
• Pep rally, bonfire, 9 p.m. Bulls fans will gather along the Lake LaSalle shore for a pep rally, along with a bonfire and fireworks to close out the night around 10.

Saturday, Oct. 5

• Stampede Square opens, 12:30 p.m. Numerous campus groups will be hosting tailgaters in Stampede Square in the UB Stadium parking lot.
• Walk to Victory, 1 p.m. Bulls fans will cheer on the UB football team, led by the Thunder of the East marching band.
• Free Tailgate Concert, 1:30 p.m. Western New York phenomenon and beloved 80s party band Nerds Gone Wild will rile up the crowd two hours before kickoff.
• Kickoff, UB vs. Ohio, 3:30 p.m., UB Stadium. The Bulls battle the Bobcats in both teams’ MAC season opener.