The Trojans Are Home. Ettrick and Petersburg Are Ready.
There is a particular kind of pride that lives on the bluffs above the Appomattox River. It shows up every October when the orange and navy blue come out in force, when the CIAA rivalries get personal again, and when generations of Trojans — mathematicians and judges, opera singers and Congresswomen, engineers and educators — come back to the campus that started it all. They come back to Ettrick, Virginia, home of Virginia State University, to stand on ground that has been producing Black excellence longer than almost any other public institution in America.
That is Virginia State University Homecoming. And in 2026, the Trojans open the gates once more, with the football game and the biggest events of the week anchored around Saturday, October 10, 2026, when VSU hosts Livingstone College at Rogers Stadium.
🏈 Get VSU Homecoming 2026 Details
What Makes Virginia State University Homecoming Unlike Any Other
Every HBCU homecoming has heart. But VSU's carries a distinction that no other homecoming in the country can claim, and two more things that make the week its own.
First, Virginia State University itself. Founded in 1882, VSU is the first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for Black Americans in the entire United States. Not the first HBCU — the first one a state legislature fully funded as a four-year college for Black students. That distinction is the foundation everything else is built on.
Second, the twin-city setting. VSU's campus sits in Ettrick, on a bluff across the Appomattox River from Petersburg — a city layered with Black history, from Pocahontas Island to the Siege of Petersburg. Richmond, with Jackson Ward and the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, is less than 30 minutes north. Homecoming week becomes a two-city experience, not just a campus one.
Third, the CIAA culture. VSU has competed in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association since 1920, one of the oldest Black athletic conferences in America. The rivalries run generations deep, the band and cheer squads bring real theater to the stadium, and the whole week builds toward a Saturday that feels like a family reunion with a marching band soundtrack.
The History: Virginia State University & Its Homecoming Tradition
Virginia State University was chartered on March 6, 1882, as the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute — and it opened its doors in 1883 as the first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for Black Americans anywhere in the country. At a time when most of the South offered Black citizens little more than token education, Virginia's legislature funded a full four-year college. That decision put Ettrick, Virginia, permanently on the map of Black American history.
Over the following century-plus, the university now known as Virginia State grew into a CIAA powerhouse and a producer of extraordinary alumni: Gladys West, the mathematician whose calculations underpin modern GPS technology; Congresswoman Lucy McBath; federal appellate judge Roger L. Gregory; entertainment and business icon Reginald F. Lewis; opera pioneer Camilla Williams; physicist Herman Branson; jazz legend Billy Taylor; and Deshauna Barber, Miss USA 2016. Homecoming grew alongside that legacy — a week built to welcome all of them, and everyone who came after them, back to the Yard.
Why Virginia State University Homecoming Matters
VSU Homecoming matters because it commemorates something bigger than a football rivalry. Virginia State exists because, in 1882, the state of Virginia made a public four-year college for Black students a reality when almost nowhere else in America would. Every homecoming since has been a living celebration of that decision and everything it produced — engineers, judges, scientists, artists, and generations of families who trace their story back to this campus on the Appomattox.
For visitors who never set foot on VSU's campus as students, Homecoming weekend is an invitation into that legacy — a chance to feel what more than 140 years of Black educational excellence looks and sounds like in real time.
Why You Should Attend VSU Homecoming 2026
You do not need a VSU diploma to feel the pull of this weekend. The football game against Livingstone College, the tailgate scene at Rogers Stadium, the step shows, and the parade through campus are open experiences that reward anyone willing to make the trip to Ettrick.
Come ready for orange and navy blue everywhere — tailgate fits, band uniforms, alumni gear from every decade. Come hungry, because Petersburg and Richmond will feed you well all week. And come ready to learn something, because this campus and this region carry more Black history per square mile than almost anywhere else in Virginia.
✈️ Plan Your Trip to VSU Homecoming
What to Expect: Homecoming Week
VSU has not yet published the full day-by-day 2026 schedule. Based on the confirmed football date and the pattern of recent homecoming weeks (which have run roughly Saturday to Saturday), here is what to expect — check vsu.edu/homecoming.php as the week approaches for exact times.
- Early in the week — Arrival & Kickoff Events: Alumni chapters and student organizations host welcome events and step-off gatherings as campus fills up.
- Midweek — Concert & Talent Night: Expect a gospel or concert night and a student talent showcase, a homecoming week staple in recent years.
- Thursday/Friday — Step Show & Greek Yard: CIAA campuses bring serious energy to Divine 9 step shows during homecoming week — expect one of the week's hottest tickets.
- Friday night — Concert: A headline concert typically closes out the week's official entertainment lineup before the big day.
- Saturday, October 10 — Parade, Tailgate & Football: The homecoming parade runs through campus in the morning, the tailgate takes over the grounds around Rogers Stadium, and the Trojans host Livingstone College at 1:00 PM. This is the day the whole week builds toward.
- Saturday night — Closing Parties: Alumni and current students close out the week across Petersburg and Richmond's event spaces.
Career & Networking Opportunities
VSU's alumni network runs deep across government, education, engineering, and business, and homecoming week is prime time to tap into it.
- Alumni chapter receptions — VSU alumni chapters across the country host meetups during homecoming week; connect with your local chapter before you travel.
- Richmond's proximity — with the state capital 25 minutes away, homecoming week is a natural time to combine campus events with meetings in Richmond's government, legal, and corporate sectors, where VSU graduates are well represented.
- Campus career conversations — current students actively work the alumni crowd during tailgate and parade events; if you're hiring or mentoring, wear something that says so.
Social Events & Parties
Petersburg and Richmond both light up for VSU Homecoming. Official campus events — the step show, the concerts, the tailgate — anchor the week, while independent promoters bring after-parties to venues in both cities, especially Richmond's downtown and Scott's Addition nightlife districts.
Saturday night, after the football game, is the peak of the social calendar. Expect events running simultaneously in Petersburg's Old Towne district and across Richmond, so plan transportation (rideshare availability gets tight) and buy tickets to marquee parties early.
Where to Eat: Petersburg & Richmond's Best for VSU Homecoming
- Croaker's Spot — A Richmond soul food institution known for its seafood-and-Southern menu, collard greens, and cornbread. A homecoming-week must.
- Mama J's Kitchen — Beloved Jackson Ward soul food spot in Richmond; fried chicken and mac and cheese that regularly draw lines out the door.
- Dixie Restaurant — A Petersburg historic-district diner operating since 1939. Classic American comfort food in one of the city's oldest storefronts.
- Saucy's Walk-up — Petersburg's go-to for barbecue sliders and quick, satisfying bites between homecoming events.
- Trapezium Brewing Co. — Craft beer and wood-fired pizza inside one of Petersburg's most architecturally distinctive historic buildings.
- The Brickhouse Run — A Petersburg favorite for seafood and American fare with a lively bar scene, good for a group dinner before a night out.
What to Do in Petersburg & Richmond
- Old Towne Petersburg — Walk the historic district's 18th- and 19th-century storefronts, just minutes from campus.
- Petersburg National Battlefield — The site of the ten-month Siege of Petersburg, including the Battle of the Crater, where United States Colored Troops played a pivotal and often under-told role in the Union's Civil War campaign.
- VSU Campus Tour — Walk the Ettrick campus itself; the grounds and historic academic buildings reflect over 140 years of institutional history.
- Jackson Ward, Richmond — Historically known as the "Black Wall Street of the South" and the "Harlem of the South," this Richmond neighborhood was a center of Black business, banking, and culture for generations.
- Richmond Slave Trail — A self-guided walking trail along the James River tracing Richmond's role in the domestic slave trade, one of the largest in the pre-Civil War United States.
Black History & Cultural Sites in Petersburg & Richmond
- Pocahontas Island Black History Museum — Located on Pocahontas Island in Petersburg, recognized as one of the oldest free Black settlements in the country, with roots stretching back to the 18th century and a National Register historic district designation.
- Blandford Church & Cemetery — A Petersburg landmark known for its Tiffany stained-glass windows and its place in the city's Civil War history.
- Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site — In Richmond's Jackson Ward, this National Park Service site honors the first woman in the United States to charter and lead a bank.
- Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia — Located in Richmond, with exhibitions covering African American history and culture across the Commonwealth.
- Virginia Civil Rights Memorial — On the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, this monument honors Barbara Rose Johns and the students and attorneys whose 1951 protest helped lead to Brown v. Board of Education.
Recommended Places to Stay
Rooms near Ettrick and Petersburg book quickly during homecoming week. Reserve early, and consider Richmond as a short-drive alternative with more inventory.
Premium
- The Jefferson Hotel — Richmond's historic five-star landmark, about 25 minutes from campus. From $350/night during homecoming week.
- Quirk Hotel Richmond — A design-forward boutique hotel in downtown Richmond. From $260/night.
Mid-Range
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Chester, VA — A short drive from Ettrick, reliably rated by recent guests. From $150/night.
- Comfort Inn Petersburg Fort Lee Area — Close to campus with straightforward, dependable amenities. From $130/night.
Budget & Group
- WoodSpring Suites Colonial Heights Fort Lee — Extended-stay style rooms with kitchen facilities, about 2 miles from campus, good for longer group stays. From $80/night.
- Airbnb in Old Towne Petersburg or Richmond's Church Hill/Jackson Ward — Full-house rentals ideal for groups, with easy access to both cities' homecoming events.
🏨 Find & Compare Hotels for VSU Homecoming →
BTN Travel Tip: Your VSU Homecoming Itinerary
- Thursday — Arrive & Explore: Check in, walk Old Towne Petersburg, visit the Pocahontas Island Black History Museum in the afternoon.
- Friday — Richmond Day + Step Show: Morning trip to Jackson Ward and the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, evening step show or concert back on campus.
- Saturday — Parade, Tailgate & Football: The full homecoming day. Parade in the morning, tailgate at Rogers Stadium, kickoff against Livingstone College at 1:00 PM, then the biggest party night of the week.
- Sunday — Battlefield + Brunch + Depart: Morning visit to Petersburg National Battlefield, brunch in Old Towne, then head home.
Mark Your Calendar
Virginia State University Homecoming 2026
📅 Week of Saturday, October 3 – Saturday, October 10, 2026 (football game and parade confirmed for Saturday, October 10; full daily schedule to be published by VSU closer to the date)
📍 Virginia State University, 1 Hayden Drive, Petersburg, VA 23806
🏈 Homecoming football game: VSU Trojans vs. Livingstone College, 1:00 PM, Rogers Stadium
🎟️ Event details and tickets — vsu.edu/homecoming.php
⚠️ Step show and concert tickets tend to sell out fast — check the official homecoming page for release dates.
🏈 Get VSU Homecoming Details →
How to Stay Connected
- Official Website: vsu.edu/homecoming.php
- VSU Athletics: govsutrojans.com
- Hashtags: #VSUHomecoming2026 #VSU #TrojanNation #VSU1882
- BTN Coverage: Follow @myblacktravelnow for homecoming guides and Petersburg/Richmond travel tips
