U of M students, alumni excited for homecoming after missing last year

University of Minnesota alumni are back in town for homecoming weekend after the celebration was canceled by COVID-19 last year.

Katie Swails, a U of M junior, is gearing up for homecoming weekend by picking out a new sweatshirt at Goldy’s Locker Room.

Like the rest of the university, the junior missed out on the event last year after COVID-19 canceled plans.

“Which is why we need to go all out this year and we’re buying everything we can,” Swails said.

The increase in interest is bringing more customers to the clothing store after a year of slow business.

Max Ball, a Goldy’s Locker Room worker, is preparing for a rush of customers.

When COVID-19 hit, he said University Avenue became a ghost town, but this year the students brought it back to life.

“The first football game, it was a line going out the store, probably 600 to 700 customers,” Ball said.

Maroon and gold brings together the past and the present.

“I’ve been a Gopher fan all my life,” Eric Link, a U of M alumnus, said.

Some alumni made the trip back to the university to enjoy the long-standing tradition.

“Oh, it’s huge. If you’re a Gopher fan, you want to be at the stadium enjoying homecoming, the parades and everything else, so we’re looking forward to it,” Link said.

Both students and alumni said after a quiet year, they’re simply picking up where they left off.