Gear Up for Saturday's Big Game With Spirit Splash and Homecoming Parade

By Christine Dellert Updated Nov. 12, 2009

The Homecoming Parade and Spirit Splash are true UCF traditions.

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Note:  To accommodate the Homecoming parade and noon kickoff, campus will open for tailgating at 7 a.m. for the Nov. 14 football game. This is a one-time change, and the tailgating start time will return to 8 a.m. for the Nov. 21 game. 

“The Greatest Week on Earth” will feature one of the world’s greatest beach volleyball players.

Phil Dalhausser, a 2002 UCF graduate who won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, will serve as the grand marshal of UCF’s Homecoming parade at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.

Dalhausser, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, headlines a week of circus-themed Homecoming activities dubbed the “Greatest Week on Earth.”

UCF also this week will unveil a statue honoring founding president Charles N. Millican. The statue -- a dedication initiated by UCF alumni and funded entirely with private donations -- will be revealed Friday, Nov. 13, outside Millican Hall, which is named after the founding president.

Homecoming Week began Saturday, Nov. 7, and concludes Saturday, Nov. 14, when the Knights and Houston Cougars will kick off at noon at Bright House Networks Stadium.

The parade route will be different than the one used in 2007 and 2008. Staging will be held on Greek Park Drive, and the parade will travel clockwise along Gemini Boulevard before ending in front of the UCF Arena.

Parade-goers are encouraged to arrive on campus by 9 a.m. To accommodate the float building on Central Florida Boulevard, parking lots B5 and B6 will be closed at 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. These lots will remain closed Saturday morning until all Homecoming floats have been staged on Greek Park Drive.

To learn more about float building and see the parade route, click here. For information on game day traffic and parking, go to http://www.ucfgameday.com.

The university’s traditional Spirit Splash and pep rally will start at noon Friday, Nov. 13, at the Reflecting Pond.

For more information on Homecoming events, visit http://www.ucfhc.com.

For more on alumni activities, such as the “Black & Gold” alumni awards banquet and tailgating party, go to http://ucfalumni.com/knightfest.

UCF TV will broadcast the Homecoming parade at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18; noon Thursday, Nov. 19; and 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. UCF TV is available on Bright House Networks Digital Cable Channel 1. To learn more about UCF TV, visit http://www.ucf.tv.

UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 3rd largest in the nation with more than 53,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information visit http://news.ucf.edu.

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