Homecoming 2008: A New Tradition

Homecoming 2008 was held during the weekend of October 17 to 19—inaugurating a new, joint program between the Alumni Association and Athletics. The festivities began with the annual Chancellor’s Challenge 5K Run/Walk on Friday at noon.

It was one of those classic Triton weekends, hot sun, cool breeze, the scent of eucalyptus, and close to a thousand UCSD alumni enjoying a pilgrimage back to campus. Homecoming 2008 was held during the weekend of October 17 to 19—inaugurating a new, joint program between the Alumni Association and Athletics. The festivities began with the annual Chancellor’s Challenge 5K Run/Walk on Friday at noon when more than 1,300 students, alumni, faculty and staff braved the perfect weather and ran, walked or strolled past the six colleges to raise money for student scholarships (more than $2.1 million has been raised since the challenge was launched in 1996). Later that day, alumni got a taste of student hospitality when they were invited to the University’s “Bear Garden” for beer and burgers, stirring blissful memories of TGs past.

But there was more. That night found alumni wedged between serried ranks of chanting students at the Men’s Water Polo match at Canyonview Pool. The Tritons trounced Claremont, 20-4 and alumni and student athletes celebrated at an ice cream social on Warren Field, hosted by the Alumni Association.

On Saturday morning, the majority of UC San Diego’s intercollegiate athletic teams hosted team-­specific alumni competitions and functions, followed by a kid-friendly barbecue at the Spanos Track and Field Stadium.   

Family fun activities held during the kid-friendly barbecue.

It all wrapped up on Sunday, when Athletics and the Alumni Association hosted the first annual Champion­ship Anniversary Brunch, celebrating the NCAA Championships of the 1988 Men’s Soccer Team, the 1988 Women’s Volleyball Team, and the 1989 Women’s Tennis Team. Additionally, the University’s LGBT alumni chapter reunited for brunch at the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center. And in the afternoon the Men’s and Women’s soccer teams played Cal State L.A. in back-to-back matches on RIMAC field.