multimedia project by Breanne Brammer, Davis Hamor and Maggie Hardwick
posted Dec. 13, 2011
The crowds were larger and crazier, the floats were bigger and better and black and gold was everywhere. Anyone stepping into Columbia to watch Mizzou take on Iowa State was sure to know: this is tiger country.
The historic centennial homecoming was one for the record books. This was the event students, faculty and alumni had been counting down to throughout the year. Game day tickets were sold out weeks in advance, parade entries were up, Greek organizations dedicated hundreds of hours to pomping, and the university and city of Columbia decorated like crazy. Mizzou was ready to officially celebrate a “century of coming home” with a day full of events.
Homecoming began on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 a.m. sharp in the Brewer Field House for the free pancake breakfast. Crowds lined up to get their flapjacks and fill their bellies before the parade. Alumni could bee seen sitting at tables in the Field House catching up on fond memories of years spent at Mizzou. The parade started at 9 a.m. and had entries ranging from the Mizzou homecoming royalty to residence hall floats. Hundreds of on-lookers showed up to watch the parade route down Rollins Street including future Golden girls, proud parents and little tiger fans excited for candy and a MU victory.
Tailgating immediately followed the parade. Some adventurous fans had arrived in the early morning hours to find the “perfect spot” for the centennial celebration. Fans had traveled from across the country to come home. Spouses who had met at the university were present with friends and enjoyed reminiscing on past homecoming game days and were predicting a win for this homecoming. Some had even made a tradition of meeting at the annual homecoming game. Fans were seen grilling and eating together under large black and gold tents in the tailgating parking lots.
Eventually it was 11a.m.: game time. Faurot Field was a sea of gold. The student section went nuts at the boom of the cannon symbolizing the start of the historic homecoming game. The crowd chanted with gusto as alumni shouted “M-I-Z” and students returned with an equally enthusiastic “Z-O-U”. In Tigers Lair you could find current students with painted bodies and choreographed dance moves. Nearly everyone boasted a gold “century of coming home” shirt. The band preformed celebratory field moves and played spirited songs with alumni band members. And at the end of the game the scoreboard said it all, a Mizzou victory. The University of Missouri had beat Iowa State. In all, the magic of the centennial homecoming was captured by MU fans-young and old. It truly was a day of coming home because we are one century, and one Mizzou.
