MSU President's Newspaper Column
July 27, 2024
Homecoming/Farmers Bowl 2024 will be a time for celebrating, reminiscing
Mark your calendar for Sept. 27-28, the weekend when Mayville State Homecoming meets Farmers Bowl for an epic Comets Family Reunion! A combined celebration had been discussed from time to time previously, and last year the idea came to life in a big way. A successful celebration in 2023 has paved the way for this year’s plans. It is sure to be a big weekend for Mayville State alumni and friends.
The Alumni Association Board and Farmers Bowl Auction Committee have lots of great plans underway and the various selection committees have done their work to name this year’s Homecoming honorees. The preparations and planning will all culminate in a time to recognize people for their achievements, a time to gather, a time to celebrate our agricultural way of life, and a time to reminisce and remember our roots.
The activities begin Friday, Sept. 27 with a celebration of Legacy Plaza, the soon-to-be new and improved space located along the corridor between Lewy Lee Fieldhouse and Classroom Building. This will be followed by recognition of this year’s Performing Arts Hall of Fame inductees. The to-be-named inductees will be recognized at a program planned for 2 p.m. Sept. 27. It will be held in the Classroom Building Auditorium and include musical selections from Mayville State’s band and choir. Triplicity will also provide musical entertainment.
Friday’s events will include time for socializing and the Homecoming Awards Dinner, which will begin at 6 p.m. in the Campus Center Luckasen Room. The Athletic Hall of Fame and Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame inductees will be honored, as will the recipients of the Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Service Awards.
The honorees will include:
- Athletic Hall of Fame inductees - Stacey (Leinius) Hadler (‘00), Hailey Longtin Aman (‘14), Rob Montgomery (‘77), and Tom Pahl (‘74);
- Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame inductees - Ross Hjelseth (‘73) and Ray Thorkildson (‘66);
- Distinguished Alumni Award recipients - Matt Fetsch (‘03) and Rob Walker (‘78); and
- Distinguished Service Award recipients - Pam Braaten (’10) and Sue Schultz.
The Alumni Association board is inviting everyone to come by and see the beautiful Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center and the lovely and meaningful gardens that surround the building starting at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 28. This will be followed by the traditional Ceremony of Remembrance at the Military Honor Garden starting at 9:30 a.m.
The parade will begin in downtown Mayville at 11 a.m. It will start just north of the Goose River Bank and follow Main Street through town, ending at Jerome Berg Field. We’re excited that we’ll be able to have our homecoming honorees be a part of the parade this year. Immediately following is the corn on the cob and hot dog feed and pre-game festival outside of Jerome Berg Field. There will be inflatable games for the kids and fun for all.
A Hall of Fame on the 5s Reunion will start at 11:30 a.m. at “The Grove” tailgating area northwest of Jerome Berg Hall. This gathering is meant to bring together Athletic Hall of Fame teams marking anniversaries in five-year increments since they played at Mayville State. The teams being honored this year are the 1959 and 1964 baseball teams, the 1984 volleyball team, and the 1989 women's basketball team.
This is also the time and site for the Jerome Berg Teams Reunion kickoff. Organizers Curt Almlie, Marty Johnson, Richard Fugleberg, and Arne Osland have a full slate of activities planned for those who played for legendary coach Jerome Berg. See the details at www.mayvillestate.edu/bergteamsreunion.
The Comets will host Valley City State in the Farmers Bowl/Homecoming football game starting at 2 p.m.
The grand finale for the weekend will be the much-anticipated Farmers Bowl Auction. Socializing and bidding on the silent auction will begin at 5 p.m., and the live auction will begin at 7 p.m. This event provides a great venue for an enjoyable evening of socializing and bidding which is being held for a great cause, Mayville State University and its students.
A celebration like this would not be possible without a lot of planning and effort put forth by many. We are extremely grateful for the alumni, friends, employees, students, financial supporters, community members, and others who are coming together to make this happen. You can see all the details at www.mayvillestate.edu/homecoming2024.