The annual return to campus at the University of Alabama hit high gear Friday night with the traditional homecoming pep rally and bonfire in front of Gorgas Library on “The Quad”. Grads from the decades before, current students, soon to be grads, their families and fans gathered to celebrate the 2025 homecoming theme “Lights, Crimson, Action!”
After a week of step shows, queen and court selection, spirit competition, bowling, lawn sign competition and choreography. homecoming drew thousands to Friday night’s pep rally and bonfire. They watched as Morgan Grzybowski, a senior majoring in biology and co-founder of the UA Women’s Hockey Team, from Wildwood, Missouri was named queen. She will be official crowned at halftime of Saturday’s homecoming game.
The Queen’s Court consists of:
Sydney Blackhurst, a junior accounting major from Gilbert, Arizona,Carrington Mills, a senior chemical engineering major from Pelham, Alabama,Rachel Rybicki, a senior majoring in finance and economics from Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, andCrawford West, a senior majoring in public health from Birmingham, Alabama.
Next up is the big day itself. Something akin to Christmas Eve leading into Christmas Day, Homecoming Day will kick off at 10:00am with the annual parade through the streets of Downtown Tuscaloosa and campus, followed by entertainment at the Walk of Champions, the arrival of the Crimson Tide and the game itself against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Grand Marshall for Saturday’s Homecoming Parade is a famous UA graduate, NASA Astronaut and Air Force Lt. Colonel Bob Hines. The parade begins on Greensboro Avenue downtown, turns onto University Blvd. and ends after traveling through campus
The homecoming game between 4th ranked Alabama and 11th ranked Oklahoma kicks off at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 2:30pm as ABC TV’s SEC Game of the Week. A victory puts the winner in prime position to make the College Football Playoffs.