"Homecoming Week is a special time on campus and a tradition that the Ole Miss family looks forward to each fall," said Jennifer Taylor, campus programming director. "The Student Programming Board sponsors a variety of activities at the Student Union throughout the week. The week culminates with the annual homecoming parade traveling through campus and to the Oxford Square."

Highlights include the Alumni Awards Ceremony, Fall Visit Day opportunities for prospective students and a gridiron match with the University of Alabama-Birmingham. "We are looking forward to all the homecoming activities we have planned this year," said Bradley Baker, campus programming coordinator for student affairs programs. "We are especially looking forward to the pep rally on the Square following the parade on Friday."

Weekend activities get underway at 5:30 p.m. when the Pride of the South Band strikes up for the parade, beginning on campus at the Lyceum Circle and continuing on University Avenue to the Oxford Square. A pep rally is scheduled at the end of the parade route.

A free, public reception Friday at 6 p.m. at The Inn at Ole Miss honors the six outstanding people who are to receive the university's highest alumni award, the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame, and recipients of the Alumni Service Award and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Following the reception, the awards will be presented at a ticketed dinner for the honorees in the Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom at The Inn.

Fall Visit Day is set for Saturday, with activities planned for prospective students to introduce them to campus life. Registration opens at 9 a.m. in front of Martindale Student Services Center. Campus tours and maps are to be available, along with a schedule of the day's activities.

"Fall Visit Day provides the perfect opportunity for prospective students and their families to get a firsthand look at Ole Miss," said Jody Lowe, associate director of enrollment services. "Representatives from academic programs, student organizations, student life and academic support services will be on hand to talk with visitors. We look forward to showcasing the many amazing opportunities the University of Mississippi has to offer."

The new alumni award honorees also are to be presented at the annual meeting of the Alumni Association at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom at The Inn. New Alumni Association officers are to be elected at the meeting, which is open to members of the Alumni Association.

Inductees into the Alumni Hall of Fame are John Warner Alford Jr. of Oxford, John "Kayo" Dottley of Vicksburg, George E. Hilliard of Memphis and William W. Parsons Jr. of Merritt Island, Fla. David E. Brevard of Tupelo will receive the Alumni Service Award for service to the university and the Alumni Association. Tamara Yvette Crawford of Arlington, Texas, will receive the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Pregame ceremonies at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium begin at 5:30 p.m. and include the introduction of Alumni Hall of Fame inductees and recipients of other alumni awards. Miss Ole Miss and Colonel Rebel also will be introduced before kickoff. They are Carmen Rae Musgrove of Brandon and Steven Nelson of Hattiesburg. The Ole Miss Rebels take on the UAB Blazers at 6 p.m. Halftime ceremonies feature the crowning of the 2009 homecoming queen, Hart Wardlaw of Belden.

For more information or assistance related to a disability, call Student Programming at 662-915-1044 or the Alumni Association at 662-915-7375. For more information about the UM Alumni Association, visit http://www.alumni.olemiss.edu/.