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Lindsey Wilson University Homecoming 2026 to be Held Nov. 2-7

A six-day celebration of 'the legacy we share, the traditions we carry forward, and the generations of Blue Raiders who continue to shape our future.'

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (10/19/2026) — The first week of November will include six days of festivities at Lindsey Wilson University as the community celebrates the school's 95th homecoming.

Lindsey Wilson will celebrate Homecoming 2026 from Nov. 2-7 with six days that will feature reunions, athletic contests, student events, the crowning of the king and queen, and the annual Alumni Awards Breakfast.

"Homecoming at Lindsey Wilson is about more than just visiting campus," said Lindsey Wilson Director of Alumni Relations Allison Cross '09. "It's about celebrating the legacy we share, the traditions we carry forward, and the generations of Blue Raiders who continue to shape our future."

At the Alumni Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 7, the Lindsey Wilson National Alumni Association will honor three alumni and one former longtime professor.

The three alumni to be honored are Carissa Jury '13 with the Outstanding Young Alumna Award, Daniel Burlacu '08 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award and the late Dalton Miller '94 with the Distinguished Service Award. Retired English professor Tim McAlpine will be named an Honorary Alumnus.

"This year's award winners embody the very best of the Lindsey Wilson legacy," said Cross. "They are living proof that the impact of the Blue Raider legacy extends far beyond the classroom and can inspire generations to come."

Jury is an emergency room nurse in Louisville, Kentucky, who is also involved in the city's civic life and promotes education among the city's youth; Burlacu is a Dallas resident who is the head of enterprise and strategic accounts for Google Workspace; Miller was an Adair County native, Army veteran and mayor of Stanford, Kentucky, before dying earlier this year of colon cancer; and McAlpine was a legendary English professor at Lindsey Wilson for more than two decades, serving as a member of the school's faculty from 1998-2021.

"I was especially happy that we could honor Dalton Miller," said Cross. "During his two-year fight with colon cancer, he would undergo chemotherapy one day and would be back at work the next day. He carried a lot of strength. He also loved Lindsey Wilson and the Adair County community. He will be missed."

Two academic programs will be highlighted during this year's homecoming activities. The second "Sport Performance Lunch and Learn" will be held at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 5, in Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center. Then later in the day, a reception for the Alumni Art Show will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. CT in the Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery in W.W. Slider Humanities Center. Both events are hosted by the Lindsey Wilson School of Arts and Humanities and they are free and open to the public.

This year's homecoming reunions include Christian ministries on Thursday, Nov. 5, and R.V. Bennett Honors Program on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Student activities during the week include the second annual hot dog eating contest on Wednesday, Nov. 4; the Belly Flop Championship, sponsored by Josh '11 and Laura '11 Nagode, on Thursday, Nov. 5; and the 21st Annual Morris Shepherd '53 Ping-Pong Tournament on Friday, Nov. 6.

Athletic events include a varsity-junior varsity volleyball doubleheader against Georgetown (Kentucky) College on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and then on Saturday, Nov. 7, a men's-women's swimming meet against Carson-Newman (Tennessee) University and Campbellsville (Kentucky) University in the morning followed by the homecoming football game against Bethel (Tennessee) University at Parnell Family Stadium. The homecoming king and queen will be crowned during halftime of the football game.

A fireworks show will be held at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 5, on the Campus Quadrangle. It is free and open to the public.

For the complete schedule of Homecoming 2026 at Lindsey Wilson, go to: www.lindsey.edu/alumni.

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

Media Attachments

Lindsey Wilson University alumnus Daniel Burlacu ’08 of Dallas will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award at the Alumni Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 7. Lindsey Wilson’s 2026 Homecoming will be celebrated Nov. 2-7.

Lindsey Wilson University alumna Carissa Jury ’13 of Louisville, Kentucky, will receive the Outstanding Young Alumna Award at the Alumni Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 7. Lindsey Wilson’s 2026 Homecoming will be celebrated Nov. 2-7.

The late Lindsey Wilson University alumnus Dalton Miller ’94 of Stanford, Kentucky, will be honored posthumously with the Distinguished Service Award at the Alumni Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 7. Lindsey Wilson’s 2026 Homecoming will be celebrated Nov. 2-7.

Retired Lindsey Wilson University English professor Tim McAlpine will be named an Honorary Alumnus at the Alumni Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 7. Lindsey Wilson’s 2026 Homecoming will be celebrated Nov. 2-7.

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