Texas Southern College has introduced that it’ll finish all Homecoming actions this yr at 7 p.m. The choice, introduced on due to “security issues,” has sparked frustration and backlash from alumni who say the abrupt curfew threatens to dim the spirit of certainly one of Houston’s most celebrated HBCU traditions.
TSU President James Crawford introduced the brand new restriction this week, citing security issues after two latest shootings at Jackson State and Alcorn in Mississippi, each related to homecoming celebrations. One particular person was killed and a number of other others injured. Crawford stated nationwide traits present that earlier closures might help stop incidents that would jeopardize neighborhood well-being.
“Each fall, establishments of upper schooling throughout the nation invite their very own to come back dwelling,” Crawford stated in an announcement. “HBCU homecomings are well-known for celebration, pageantry and enduring hope for continued development, progress and accomplishment. However we should stay vigilant to take care of this historical past and this joyous event.”
Crawford stated the choice got here “after cautious private discernment and session with the TSU Division of Public Security,” including that “analysis of nationwide traits and native information signifies that early closure is an efficient deterrent to incidents that would compromise celebration and security.”
The president stated all campus homecoming actions on Saturday, October 18, 2025, together with tailgating, will finish at 7 p.m. “It’s my cost to host annual homecomings that deliver generations of Tigers collectively for years to come back,” Crawford stated. “No unwarranted incident will be allowed to jeopardize the power of the College to take action.”
Whereas the college maintains that the choice prioritizes security, many alumni argue that the early cutoff demonstrates a scarcity of consideration for the neighborhood that helps and funds the occasion.
“Until there’s some imminent menace, this was the simple approach out.”
Andrea Odom
Lifetime alumni member Andrea Odom referred to as the transfer “the simple approach out.”
“As an alternative of working in worry and shutting it down, add officers and provides security plans and protocols,” Odom stated. “That they had already shortened it to finish at 9. Distributors have paid upwards of $750 per area to be there all day and night, and other people have additionally paid for tailgate areas. This choice comes after monetary investments have already been made. Until there’s some imminent menace, this was the simple approach out.”
Odom stated she was additionally annoyed that feedback have been disabled on TSU’s official social media posts concerning the change.
“They don’t need to hear from the folks in any respect,” she stated, including that this would be the first homecoming she’s ever missed. “Zero consideration for many who make plans and spend cash to be there.”
A kind of annoyed over bills is Ally Jackson, who was coming from Dallas alongside along with her sorority sisters from the Delta Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta at TSU.
“We glance ahead every year to coming dwelling and celebrating with our Chapter Sorors, previous and current,” Jackson stated. “Our chapter has spent months planning a memorable tailgate, and receiving such brief discover forces us to alter every little thing — from distributors to catering to group photographs. It’s actually unfair to face this disruption after months of dedication and preparation.”
Alumna Suzanne Mari questioned the logistics of implementing the early closure.
“I’m wondering how they plan on making everybody depart by seven when folks have spent their cash and flown in,” she stated. “The live performance normally doesn’t even begin till seven-thirtyish. This isn’t a very good look and can in all probability be a lot worse than if they simply acquired extra safety.”
Jarrod Rector, proprietor of Stuff’d Wings, a beloved small enterprise in Houston’s Midtown/Third Ward, was eagerly anticipating a lift in gross sales following a gradual season and a latest rebrand timed with their grand re-opening on the weekend of November 1st.
“I admire the priority for neighborhood security and the thrill of everybody returning dwelling to have fun the TSU Legacy,” Rector shared. “However shutting issues down early disrupts the nightly live performance, hurts meals distributors who’ve already paid upwards of $750 in charges, workers and stock and prevents tailgaters from staying via the hours they agreed to when buying their spots. It’s a setback for small companies like ours who depend on these moments to reconnect with prospects and drive enterprise.”
Different alumni expressed combined feelings, saying they understood the security issues however feared the transfer would change the environment of the occasion.
Longtime attendee Eric Lockett stated the choice displays a broader cycle affecting Black cultural gatherings.
“It’s like the rest with social actions with us,” Lockett stated on social media. “The occasion blows up and turns into tremendous common, then others come who don’t know how one can act and subsequent factor you realize, they shoot up the place. Then you need to determine if you wish to go as a result of it’s not the identical occasion anymore. It’s the life cycle of all Black leisure actions—from Freaknik to Kappa Seaside Get together. The query is, how are you going to differentiate between faculty youngsters and alumni versus cousin Pookie and them?”
Including to the priority are studies of potential outdoors agitators concentrating on HBCUs this fall. A marketing campaign referred to as the “Educate to Liberate Tour,” backed by conservative group Turning Level USA and its BLEXIT initiative, is planning stops at a number of traditionally Black faculties throughout homecoming season. Critics have described the tour as a politically charged effort to impress controversy below the guise of “dialogue and free thought.”
“Crawford is a Navy man so he understands operational danger very effectively. Nevertheless, as a frontrunner he’s making a call based mostly on what his workers is presenting him,” stated alum Micheal Hollins. “As a security skilled, I don’t thoughts the transfer so long as the information helps the choice. If they’re being proactive with predictive modeling it nonetheless doesn’t add up. Most incidents happen between 9 and midnight in school campuses. I might be okay with an 8 pm closure with every little thing being cleared out by 9. The proposed time is extraordinarily conservative.”
Crawford stated TSU stays dedicated to preserving the “spirit of homecoming” whereas guaranteeing security for all who attend.
“The College is working carefully with college students, alumni and occasion organizers to make sure the spirit of homecoming stays vibrant,” he stated. “Music, fellowship and Tiger satisfaction will proceed to thrive inside a schedule that prioritizes neighborhood well-being.”
Nonetheless, many Tigers say the brand new coverage seems like an overcorrection.
“The scholars and alumni want to make use of their voices on this one,” Odom stated. “Take a stand in opposition to this. We’re those who constructed this legacy.”
