Autumn at the Arbor 2024
Monday, Sept. 30 – Saturday, Oct. 5
Be a part of Autumn at the Arbor culminating with Homecoming! Homecoming at SAU is an event for our entire community to gather together and enjoy everything we love about fall and SAU. Whether you are an alum, parent, employee, student, friend or community member, this week is for you and we hope to see you here on campus.
For questions, please email alumni@arbor.edu or call us at 517.750.6673.
Needing a place to stay while you’re in the area? There are numerous hotels within 15 minutes of campus, but we have rooms reserved at the Courtyard Jackson with a special SAU rate. Book your stay by Sept. 15 to receive the SAU rate – Book your group rate for SAU Homecoming 2024.
All events are subject to change. Please check back for any updates.
Monday, September 30
| EVENT DETAILS | TIME | LOCATION |
| Homecoming Scavenger Hunt | Students get ready for a campus wide search for the golden SAU coin for a chance to win some major prizes. | All week or until the coin is found. | SAU Main Campus |
| Leadership Speaker Series – Kari Shimmel ’03, CEO of Campbell Ewald | Join us for a complimentary lunch on campus as Kari shares her insights into the world of advertising. Topic: The impact of advertising: a story of identity, influence and integrity Click here to register. About Kari: Kari’s cultural curiosity is driven by her life as a military brat, avid traveler, and mom. As a swiss-army knife of marketing, she began her career as a designer, taught advertising at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, created award-winning work as a creative director and became a planner to spark powerful insights for brands. As CEO of Campbell Ewald, Kari works with teams to develop impactful ideas, stories & experiences for clients that are memorable and effective. Under her leadership the full-service agency has launched CE/CX, a cx marketing consultancy, and CE Exchange, an influencer marketing practice, innovating new services to meet the new era of marketing. Kari has worked on brands including General Motors, OnStar, Disney, Snuggle, Cadillac, Chick-Fil-A, Travelocity, Mutual of Omaha, ASICS and Harley-Davidson, but her proudest achievement – and greatest challenge – has been as a Mom in the ad world, passing on her curiosity to her daughters. | 11:30 AM | Kresge Student Center – Ralph Carey Forum (RCF) |
Wednesday, October 2
| EVENT DETAILS | TIME | LOCATION |
| 40th Annual Arbor Games | Be a participant, a volunteer or a spectator in our 40th Annual Arbor Games! | 2 PM | SAU Plaza & DeCan Field |
| Women’s Volleyball – White Out | Come out and cheer on our volleyball team as they take on Huntington. White out shirts will be available for purchase. | 7 PM | McDonald Athletic Center (MAC) |
| Men’s Soccer Game | Join us for a game under the lights as our men’s soccer team faces off against Goshen. | 7 PM | Cougar Soccer Complex |
Friday, October 4
| EVENT DETAILS | TIME | LOCATION |
| Spring Arbor Preview Day | This event is designed for all prospective high school students, but only juniors and seniors have the option to stay overnight. Families are encouraged to join their student for all daytime activities, but are not permitted to stay for the after-hours overnight portion of the event. To register, click here. | TBD | SAU Main Campus |
| Homecoming Chapel | Join us in person or via Livestream for a special Homecoming Chapel with alumni-led worship and special alumni guest, Al Butkovich ’78 who is also one of our 2024 Alumni Award Recipients. Click here to view SAU’s livestream. | 10 AM | The Arbor Church |
| E.P. Hart Lunch | The E.P. Hart Club is comprised of Spring Arbor alumni who have celebrated their 50th class reunion. Each year, we invite all E.P. Hart Club members back to campus to celebrate the newest 50th class and their induction into this special club. To register, call 517.750.6673 or email alumni@arbor.edu. | 11:30 AM | Kresge Student Center – Ralph Carey Forum (RCF) |
| SAU Softball Scrimmage | 3 PM | Softball Field |
| Alumni Awards Dinner | Join us as we honor and celebrate our 2024 Alumni Award Recipients. Announcement of this year’s recipients and event information forthcoming. Click here, to register for this year’s dinner. | 6 PM | Kresge Student Center – Ralph Carey Forum (RCF) |
| Baseball Alumni Game | Come out for a great night under the lights on our newly renovated Burbridge Field as our current SAU baseball team takes on players from the past. | 7 PM | Hank Burbridge Field |
| Cougar Madness | Cougar Madness is for our students, employees and young alums. This is a time to introduce our basketball teams, play fun games, and a chance to get a Cougar Madness t-shirt. | 10 PM | McDonald Athletic Center (MAC) |
Saturday, October 5
| EVENT DETAILS | TIME | LOCATION |
| Spring Arbor Preview Day | This event is designed for all prospective high school students, but only juniors and seniors have the option to stay overnight. Families are encouraged to join their student for all daytime activities, but are not permitted to stay for the after-hours overnight portion of the event. To register, click here. | TBD | SAU Main Campus |
| Hinkley 5K Donut Dash | Whether you are a walker or runner, this will be a fun route around SAU’s campus. Most importantly, there will be Hinkley donuts at every mile mark. All proceeds go to support SAU Track and Cross Country and SOAR Jackson. All paid registrants will receive a Donut Dash shirt! Click here, to register. | 9:30 AM | McDonald Athletic Center (MAC) |
| Women’s Basketball Blue vs. Gold Scrimmage | Enjoy some friendly competition as the women’s basketball team has an intersquad scrimmage. | 10 AM | McDonald Athletic Center (MAC) |
| Men’s Reserve Soccer vs. Alumni | TBD | Cougar Soccer Complex |
| Science Center Celebration | Bring your friends and family for some science fun and for an exciting announcement about the future of STEM at SAU. | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Whiteman Gibbs Science Center |
| Softball Alumni Game – Celebrating 50 years | Come watch as SAU Softball alumni take the field and play our current SAU Cougar Softball team. If you are a former player and hope to play, register here. | 11 AM | Softball Field |
| Jersey retirement for former player and coach, Sam Riggleman ’73 | Join us as we honor the legacy of SAU baseball legend, Sam Riggleman, by retiring his number. Come hear from Coach Marken, and former players at this special ceremony. | 11:30 AM | Hank Burbridge Field |
| SAU Radio – Podcast studio open house | Join in celebrating the newly renovated SAU Podcast/Media studio. Tour the facilities, share refreshments, and learn about the new opportunities for SAU students, staff, and alumni. | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Munn Broadcast Center |
| Class of 1974 Reunion | Reconnect with fellow classmates for your 50th reunion. To register, call 517.750.6673 or email alumni@arbor.edu. | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Kresge Student Center – Ralph Carey Forum (RCF) |
| Homecoming Fall Festival | Come experience fall fun at our Homecoming Fall Festival. Enjoy our Red Egg Farm Kids Zone with pumpkin painting, donuts, cider, inflatables and games. Shop local at our vendor fair while enjoying food trucks and music. | 11:30 AM – 2 PM | The Oak Tree |
| Men’s Basketball Alumni Game | Come watch as SAU Men’s Basketball alumni take the court and play our current SAU Cougar Men’s Basketball team. | 12 PM | McDonald Athletic Center (MAC) |
| Tennis Pro Am | Come watch as SAU Tennis alumni take on our current SAU Cougar Tennis team. | 12:30 PM | The Jones Tennis Complex |
| Art Exhibition – Legacy in Color, Marco Sassone Collection | Experience the beautiful oil paintings and serigraphs of Marco Sassone. Meet the internationally acclaimed Italian artist and author of American Journey: My Life in Art. This art exhibition is generously provided by Shelby (Sanderson) Combs ’62. | 1 – 3 PM | Ganton Art Gallery |
| Men’s Basketball Reserve Scrimmage | 2 PM | McDonald Athletic Center (MAC) |
| Homecoming Rally | Join us before our Homecoming Soccer Game as we gear up to cheer on our SAU Cougars! There will be popcorn, cider slushes and the first 200 will get an SAU rally towel. | 2:30 PM | Cougar Soccer Complex |
Homecoming Soccer Game | Cheer on our SAU Women’s Soccer team as they take on Huntington for our Homecoming Soccer Game. | 3 PM | Cougar Soccer Complex |
| Reserve Women’s Soccer Game | Cheer on our SAU Women’s Reserve Soccer team as they take on Huntington! | 5 PM | Cougar Soccer Complex |