August 18, 2025
Mayville State University Homecoming will meet Farmers Bowl for a combined celebration planned for Sept. 26-27. This marks the third consecutive year the university has united these events into one grand celebration for Mayville State alumni and friends. The Mayville State Alumni Association has a full schedule of activities planned for all alumni, friends, and community members.
A highlight of the weekend will be the opportunity for people to take a guided tour of Mayville State’s beloved Old Main, which is currently undergoing a fabulous transformation. Mayville State was fortunate to have received more than $52 million in funding from the North Dakota Legislature for a renovation that honors tradition while providing state of the art learning space for the students of today and for generations to come. The project is slated for completion in the summer of 2026.
Tours will be offered at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. RSVP is required at www.mayvillestate.edu/OMtours. Those participating will need to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. All must check in at the construction offices located across the street from the south side of Old Main for a safety briefing and to receive personal protective equipment.
The 2025 Athletic and Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Alumni Award recipients will be recognized at the Homecoming Awards Dinner planned for 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. Athletic Hall of Fame inductees are the 1999 baseball team, Larry Omdahl, Dave Ouradnik, DeMarcus Rideaux, and Scott Terry. Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame inductee is Bruce Belseth. Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are Marlene (Viseth) Kensrud and Alan O’Neil.
The Lyng family will also be recognized during the Friday evening dinner. Alumni and friends are invited to join in thanking the Lyngs for their dedication and generosity. The naming of the Dr. Merwin & Myrna Lyng Department of Mathematics and the grand opening of the Jim Lyng Athletic Hall of Fame will be acknowledged at the dinner.
A pre-dinner social will be held at the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center from 4 to 5:30 p.m. A social for alumni and friends will also follow the Homecoming Awards Dinner from 8:30 to 11 p.m. at the Larson Center.
An open house at the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center and the surrounding gardens will kick off the day’s activities on Saturday, Sept. 27. The open house is set to begin at 8:30 a.m.
Comets Volleyball is planning an alumni game to begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. The volleyball team will also be hosting Bismarck State in matches on Friday, Sept. 26. Game time is 4 p.m. for the junior varsity team and 6 p.m. for varsity.
The Mayville State Bookstore will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The traditional Ceremony of Remembrance at the Military Honor Garden on the grounds of the Larson Center will begin at 9:30 a.m.
A parade will start at the corner of Main Street and Center Avenue, beginning at 11 a.m. It will go east down Main Street and end at Jerome Berg Field on the Mayville State campus. Those interested in entering a unit in the parade should contact Stacy Buchl at stacy.buchl@mayvillestate.edu or 701-788-4864.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m., Athletic Hall of Fame teams marking anniversaries in five-year increments since they played at Mayville State are invited to join in tailgating at “The Grove” northwest of Jerome Berg Field. Teams of honor this year are the 1955-56 baseball team, 1960-61 men’s basketball team, 1965 football team, 1970 baseball team, 1990 baseball team, 1990 football team, 1995-96 men’s basketball team, and 2005-06 men’s basketball team. Tailgating festivities will be hosted by the Comet Gridiron Club.
Mayville State’s athletic teams will be making the preparations and serving the legendary Farmers Bowl Corn on the Cob and Hot Dog Feed outside of Jerome Berg Field starting at noon. Pre-game festivities will also include inflatable games for kids.
Comets softball alumni are invited to join in tailgating starting at noon at “The Grove.”
The Comets will host Arizona Christian University in the Farmers Bowl/Homecoming game. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Jerome Berg Field.
The grand finale for the weekend will be the Farmers Bowl Auction. Socializing and silent auction bidding will begin at 5 p.m. at the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. The live auction will begin at 7 p.m.
The full Mayville State Homecoming/Farmers Bowl schedule with all the details is at www.mayvillestate.edu/Homecoming2025. Admission tickets for the Homecoming Awards Dinner and Farmers Bowl Auction are available for sale at this site, as well as at the offices of the MSU Foundation. Contact the MSU Foundation at alumni.mail@mayvillestate.edu or 701-788-4750 with questions.