Jumbos get new Homecoming rival

A old tradition will take a new form this weekend when the Tufts community gathers for the Homecoming games. The event was moved a month earlier this year, causing several positive changes for Tufts sports teams.

"It was very disappointing to not have all the teams home last year, especially to have none of the women's teams. That was a priority this year and I think it was achieved," Athletics Director Bill Gehling said.

The timing of last year's Homecoming caused football and men's soccer to be the only athletic events. And, the match-ups were disjointed because each team played a different opponent, with the football team taking on Amherst and the soccer squad squaring off against Connecticut College. There was an absence of women's teams because by the time Homecoming occurred, the women's soccer and field hockey seasons were over.

"We're excited to play because last year our [the women's soccer] season was over and we had to watch other teams compete instead of being able to do so ourselves. It's fun to play when the school comes out to support the teams, it adds a new level of play to our game," senior EA Tooley said.

Not only will a larger number of fall teams be able to display their talents throughout the course of the day, they will be able to do so against a mutual rival: Bates. This is a change for the Jumbos, who have played Amherst of Williams for the past 11 years.

What effect playing Bates will have on crowd spirit remains to be seen. Repeatedly playing the same rival is usually a signature of homecoming weekends, as crowd the aversion to a visiting team grows exponentially with each Tufts team that is competing against them.

There is some contention over the selection of this weekend for Homecoming, because there is another weekend that could be chosen. On Oct. 19, which is closer to that of the date that Homecoming is usually held on, all the Tufts teams face a tougher NESCAC opponents in Williams College.

"Williams is at the top of the conference and we do unfortunately have more losses than wins against them, but that didn't play into the scheduling of Homecoming," Gehling said.

But that weekend is Parent's Weekend, so it couldn't be Homecoming.

No matter what the date, the teams are ready to take on any opponent put in front of them in their quest to advance to postseason play.

"Homecoming is a little bit early, but every game counts on your record so we'll be ready. I don't think it really matters who we play," football coach Bill Samko said. The players "better be fired up for every game, no matter who it is that we're playing."

Even for those athletes who aren't directly participating on Saturday, the excitement is mounting. The undefeated women's tennis team will take on Middlebury on Sunday, leaving Saturday open for playing a role it rarely gets to play during the season, that of spectator.

"We've been away during Homecoming weekend in the past so we haven't always been able to go to some of the homecoming events like the pep rally and the football game," senior tennis player Katie Nordstrom said. "This year we're excited to go as a team and support other Tufts athletes. It's going to be fun going to the homecoming football game and watching the team dominate the field.