The University of Alabama at Birmingham will celebrate Homecoming Week from Oct. 5-11, leading up to the big game Saturday when the UAB Blazers take on the North Texas Mean Green at Legion Field. This is the first homecoming celebration under the leadership of new UAB head football coach Bill Clark.
Homecoming Week 2014 is themed “This is Blazer Country.” The week, filled with festivities sponsored by the UAB National Alumni Society and UAB Student Life, will begin with Paint the Town on Sunday, Oct. 5, when students decorate campus and business windows with spirited messages. The entire UAB community can attend the annual free Homecoming Comedy Show with comedian Godfrey, get creative in the Building Decoration Competition, play at Hoops on the Haasephalt and participate in UAB’s epic tradition, the Gurney Derby Race, to be held at a new time, 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, on 13th Street South. Jimmie Johnson, one of the 12 contenders for the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, will officiate the annual Homecoming Gurney Derby event.
The annual UAB Homecoming Parade, featuring decorated floats and vehicles representing departments, schools and student organizations across campus, will take place at noon Friday, Oct. 10. The parade route will start at 14th Street South, then travel down 10th Avenue South to 19th Street South, where it will return along University Boulevard.
Alumni, students, friends, fans and the community can keep track of all of the UAB Homecoming 2014 events online at www.uab.edu/alumni and at www.uab.edu/students. Use the hashtag #BlazerCountry for Homecoming 2014 social media posts. This year, faculty and staff can order Homecoming T-shirts through Snoozy's. Please place orders by noon on Sept. 30.
On game day, Blazer Village will open at 11:30 a.m., with shuttles running from Blazer and Camp halls to Legion Field free for all UAB students and fans. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. The NAS will announce the winners of the Mr. and Ms. UAB scholarship competition during halftime. Tickets are $15. For group tickets, call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-8221.
Comedian Godfrey will perform the Homecoming Comedy Show, which is free and open to the public, at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Godfrey achieved cult status when Ben Stiller cast him to play himself in “Zoolander.” His more recent film roles include “Johnson Family Vacation,” “The Cookout” with Queen Latifah, “Phat Girlz” starring Monique and “Soul Plane” alongside Snoop Dogg. He may be best known as the “7UP Guy” in the popular 7UP national advertising campaign. He also has had a guest-starring role on “30 Rock,” his own half-hour special on Comedy Central and a recurring role on the sit-com “Louie” with Louis C.K. He is in demand as both a host and stand-up headliner in comedy clubs across the nation. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.