Murchison Road Is Calling. And Every Bronco Comes Home.
There is a moment every Fayetteville State grad knows by heart. You turn onto Murchison Road, the campus gates come into view, and before you even find parking you hear it — the drumline warming up somewhere in the distance, horns blaring off in the direction of the yard, somebody's trunk rattling with a go-go or Southern hip-hop mix that takes you straight back to your freshman year. You have not even hugged anybody yet, and already you feel it.
You feel what it means to belong to the Blue and White.
That is Fayetteville State University Homecoming. One of North Carolina's proudest HBCU traditions, rooted in one of the oldest Black colleges in the South. Homecoming week builds all the way through Saturday, October 17, 2026, when Fayetteville, North Carolina becomes Bronco Country.
🐎 Get FSU Homecoming Details & Tickets
What Makes FSU Homecoming Unlike Any Other
Every HBCU throws a homecoming. But Fayetteville State's carries a specific, hometown-reunion warmth that is hard to replicate — and a few things set it apart.
First, the history. Founded in 1867, Fayetteville State is one of the oldest historically Black institutions in North Carolina and the second-oldest public university in the state, period. It began as the Howard School, teaching freed Black men and women to read and write just two years after the Civil War, and it grew into the first state-sponsored teacher-training institution for African Americans in the South. When Broncos come home, they are returning to a campus with nearly 160 years of Black educational history behind it.
Second, the city. Fayetteville is a proud, working-class Southern city shaped by its deep military ties to nearby Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) and by a rich, well-documented African American heritage — from 19th-century Black-founded churches to the Triple Nickles, the Army's first all-Black paratrooper unit. It is a city that knows how to show up for its own, and it shows up for FSU every October.
Third, the intimacy. Fayetteville State's homecoming does not try to be the biggest HBCU homecoming in the country. It is the one where you actually run into your old roommate at the gas station, where the tailgate lots feel like a family cookout, and where CIAA pride runs thick. It is Blue and White, through and through.
The History: Fayetteville State University & Its Legendary Homecoming
Fayetteville State University traces its founding to November 29, 1867, when seven prominent free Black men in Fayetteville pooled their own money to buy land and establish the Howard School, named for Civil War general and Freedmen's Bureau commissioner Oliver Otis Howard. Their goal was direct: train Black teachers so that Black children across North Carolina could be educated by their own community, at a time when almost no formal schooling existed for African Americans in the South.
In 1877, the school was formally designated the State Colored Normal School — the first state-supported teacher-training institution for African Americans anywhere in the South. Educator Dr. Ezekiel Ezra (E.E.) Smith led the school for roughly fifty years, from the 1880s into the 1930s, building it into a cornerstone of Black education in North Carolina. The institution would go on to become Fayetteville State Teachers College (1939), Fayetteville State College (1963), and finally Fayetteville State University (1969), joining the University of North Carolina system in 1972. In 2003, Dr. T.J. Bryan became the university's first female chancellor and the first African American woman to lead an institution in the UNC system.
Today, the Fayetteville State Broncos compete in NCAA Division II as members of the CIAA — the same storied conference that has produced some of the fiercest HBCU rivalries and homecoming traditions in the country. FSU Homecoming grew out of that same CIAA culture: a week that blends football, marching band, Greek life, gospel, and generations of alumni returning to Murchison Road to celebrate a school built by and for Black excellence.
Why FSU Homecoming Matters
Fayetteville State Homecoming matters because Fayetteville State itself matters. This is an institution founded by formerly enslaved and free Black citizens who understood, before almost anyone else in North Carolina, that education was the surest path to freedom and self-determination. Coming back to Murchison Road every October is an act of remembrance — for the founders who scraped together the money to buy the land, for E.E. Smith, who gave fifty years to the school, and for every generation of Bronco who has walked the yard since.
For visitors who are not alumni, FSU Homecoming is a window into a different kind of Black excellence than you might see at a bigger-name HBCU — the kind built by teachers, nurses, social workers, soldiers, and small-business owners who came home to Fayetteville and built lives around this campus. It is Black joy that is proud, unshowy, and deeply rooted.
Why You Should Attend FSU Homecoming 2026
You do not have to be a Bronco to enjoy FSU Homecoming — and if you have never experienced a CIAA homecoming, this is a great one to start with. The parade rolling through the city, the tailgate lots filling with smoke and music hours before kickoff, and the sheer warmth of a crowd that treats every visitor like family make it worth the trip on their own.
Come ready to represent Blue and White. Tailgate fits, Bronco gear, and Sunday-best homecoming looks are all part of the tradition — Fayetteville State fans take pride in showing out for their own.
You will leave with a full stomach, a hoarse voice from cheering, and new people to call family.
✈️ Plan Your FSU Homecoming Trip
What to Expect: Day by Day
FSU's full 2026 events calendar is still being finalized by the university — check the official homecoming page as the date nears for exact times. Based on FSU's established homecoming traditions, expect a week that builds toward Saturday, October 17 along these lines:
- Monday, October 12 — Kickoff & Spirit Week Begins: Homecoming week opens on campus with spirit days, class competitions, and early alumni check-ins.
- Tuesday, October 13 — Convocation & Coronation Prep: Campus programming continues, with student org showcases and homecoming court activities building toward coronation.
- Wednesday, October 14 — Gospel Extravaganza: A campus staple of HBCU homecoming week — a gospel concert celebrating the university's faith community.
- Thursday, October 15 — Coronation & Step Show: The homecoming king and queen are crowned, followed by one of the week's highlights — the Divine 9 step show, packed with FSU's NPHC chapters.
- Friday, October 16 — Fam Jam & Comedy Show: A pep rally-style concert and comedy night bring the campus together the night before the big day.
- Saturday, October 17 — Parade, Tailgate & Football Game: The main event. The homecoming parade rolls through Fayetteville in the morning, the tailgate lots around the stadium fill by midday, and the Broncos take the field that afternoon. This is the day the whole city feels it.
Career & Networking Opportunities
FSU Homecoming is a genuine professional reunion for Bronco alumni working across education, the military, healthcare, business, and public service throughout North Carolina and beyond.
- Alumni chapter events — the FSU National Alumni Association and local chapters host receptions and meetups throughout homecoming week; check with your regional chapter before you arrive.
- Department and college receptions — many FSU academic departments and the School of Business host homecoming gatherings for their graduates.
- The tailgate lots — some of the most valuable conversations of the week happen standing in a tailgate circle catching up with classmates who have gone on to build careers in education, the military, and business across the region.
Social Events & Parties
Fayetteville comes alive for FSU Homecoming week. Downtown Fayetteville's bars and event spaces, along with venues closer to campus on Murchison Road and Ramsey Street, fill up with Bronco-themed parties, step-show afterparties, and Greek-life mixers most nights of the week.
The Friday night Fam Jam and the Saturday night post-game celebrations are typically the peak of the social calendar, with promoters bringing in events from around the Carolinas for the occasion. Ticketed campus events like the step show and comedy show tend to sell tickets in advance, so plan ahead.
Where to Eat: Fayetteville's Best for FSU Homecoming
- Vicky's Famous Biscuits & Chicken — A beloved local spot for oversized biscuits and fried chicken. A perfect stop before the parade.
- Uptown's Chicken & Waffles — Soul food comfort done right, with fried chicken and waffles that have made it a local favorite for homecoming crowds.
- Dab's Soul Food Cafe — Classic Southern soul food in a no-frills, home-cooking setting — a Fayetteville staple.
- Circa 1800 — A downtown Fayetteville dining destination known for elevated American fare and a popular weekend brunch, great for a sit-down alumni dinner.
- Huske Hardware House — A downtown Fayetteville institution housed in a historic building, serving a full menu alongside its own house-brewed beer.
- Fowler's Southern Gourmet — Regional Carolina barbecue styles served up in generous portions, ideal for a homecoming group.
What to Do in Fayetteville
- Airborne & Special Operations Museum — A downtown Fayetteville museum covering more than 80 years of U.S. Army airborne and special operations history, reflecting the city's deep ties to nearby Fort Liberty.
- Cape Fear Botanical Garden — Peaceful specialty gardens along the Cape Fear River, a nice daytime break from the homecoming energy.
- Segra Stadium — Downtown Fayetteville's modern minor-league ballpark and event venue, worth a stroll even outside of game days.
- Market House — A 19th-century downtown landmark and National Historic Site with a complicated history — it once served as a market and town hall, and enslaved people were also sold there. Understanding this history is part of understanding Fayetteville.
- Museum of the Cape Fear — A regional history museum covering early settlement through the Civil War era, including exhibits that touch on the region's history of slavery and Black domestic labor.
- FSU's own Planetarium — Right on campus, a 30-foot dome theater with live astronomer-led shows — a fun detour if you're already on the yard.
Black History & Cultural Sites in Fayetteville
- Fayetteville State University itself — 1200 Murchison Road is a Black history site in its own right, founded in 1867 as the Howard School and now North Carolina's second-oldest public university.
- E.E. Smith Monument — Located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, this monument honors Dr. Ezekiel Ezra Smith, who led the university for roughly fifty years and also founded one of North Carolina's first Black newspapers.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Park — A thirteen-acre memorial park on Blue Street featuring a statue of Dr. King, erected in 2007, with quotations from his speeches.
- Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church — Established around 1780 by a free Black cobbler named Harry Evans, and later home to noted Black author Charles Chesnutt as its organist and choirmaster.
- St. Joseph's Episcopal Church — Founded in 1873, this historic Black congregation hosted W.E.B. Du Bois and early NAACP meetings.
- The Triple Nickles exhibit at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum — Honoring the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the U.S. Army's first all-Black paratrooper unit, trained near Fayetteville.
- Orange Street School — Built in 1915 by Black contractor James Waddell, believed to be the oldest surviving school building constructed for Black education in Fayetteville.
Together, these stops form part of Fayetteville's African American Heritage Trail — a self-guided way to spend an afternoon of homecoming week learning the deeper story of the city hosting your Bronco family reunion.
Recommended Places to Stay
Fayetteville hotel rooms book up fast during homecoming week, especially anything close to campus or downtown. Reserve early. Prices below are estimates and will vary by exact dates and demand.
Premium
- Embassy Suites by Hilton Fayetteville Fort Bragg — All-suite comfort with cooked-to-order breakfast included, a solid pick for families or groups. Estimated from $189–$229/night during homecoming week.
Mid-Range
- Hampton Inn & Suites Fayetteville — Reliable, comfortable, and centrally located for downtown and campus access. Estimated from $149–$179/night.
- Hampton Inn Fayetteville Fort Bragg — A dependable mid-range option near the Fort Liberty side of town. Estimated from $139–$169/night.
Budget & Group
- Studio 6 Fayetteville, NC – Fort Liberty Area — Extended-stay style rooms with kitchenettes, a good value option for longer stays. Estimated from $70–$95/night.
- Motel 6 Fayetteville, NC – Fort Liberty Area — A no-frills, budget-friendly base for the week. Estimated from $55–$75/night.
🏨 Find & Compare Fayetteville Hotels for Homecoming →
BTN Travel Tip: Your FSU Homecoming Itinerary
- Monday — Arrive & Settle In: Check in, grab dinner at Circa 1800 or Huske Hardware House, and catch the campus spirit-week energy.
- Tuesday — Heritage Trail Stop: Visit the E.E. Smith Monument and Martin Luther King Jr. Park before the evening's on-campus programming.
- Wednesday — Gospel Extravaganza: Spend the day at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, then head to the campus gospel concert in the evening.
- Thursday — Coronation & Step Show: Rest up during the day, then dress up for coronation and the step show that night — one of the week's biggest draws.
- Friday — Fam Jam: Grab soul food at Vicky's or Uptown's Chicken & Waffles, then hit the Fam Jam concert or a comedy show that night.
- Saturday — Parade, Tailgate & Game Day: Catch the morning parade downtown, tailgate all afternoon, cheer on the Broncos, and celebrate deep into the night — this is what you came for.
Mark Your Calendar
Fayetteville State University Homecoming 2026
📅 Homecoming Week: October 12–17, 2026 (Homecoming Saturday: October 17, 2026)
📍 Fayetteville State University, 1200 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, NC 28301
🎟️ Many campus events are free; ticketed shows vary — uncfsu.edu/homecoming
⚠️ The full 2026 schedule was still being finalized by the university at the time of writing — check the official page as the date gets closer.
🐎 Get FSU Homecoming Updates →
How to Stay Connected
- Official Website: uncfsu.edu
- Homecoming Page: uncfsu.edu/homecoming
- Hashtags: #FSUHomecoming2026 #AllAboutTheBlue #BroncoNation
- BTN Coverage: Follow @myblacktravelnow for homecoming guides and Fayetteville travel tips
