Dave Henry still remembers the excitement surrounding Homecoming when he played for the Bison football team in the mid-late 1970s.

"On Homecoming Day, they used to have the engineering band and all of the people in residence. There were literally 3,000 of them that would come running over that old hill," he says with fondness. "For that one game alone, there would be probably 5,000 people and there was always at least 3,000 people from residence."

Now the president of the Bison football alumni association, Henry [BA / '79] still feels the same excitement and pride when discussing the subject.  

"Homecoming for me, being a Bison football alumni, has always been about the Homecoming football game. Even before I was involved, Homecoming was an important part."

This year, the Bison football alumni fundraiser will be tied into Homecoming, with players from the 1980s being honoured. The day starts with a breakfast, followed by a tailgate party before the game against Regina at 2 p.m.

Kevin Kessler played for the Bisons between 1982-86. He took over the Bison football alumni page this year and feels that events like homecoming are critical for bringing former teammates back together to celebrate and reminisce.

"Myself personally, I don't see the guys on a regular basis. I will see them at this event, and that may be the only time I see them this year, is at a Bison football event," he says. "But that's another reason why this event is so important. It's a chance to re-connect and to get a chance to see each other again."

Kessler also sees the importance of giving back to a program that provided him and his comrades with so much.

"At this point in our life, we need to reflect back to what we got as players. And a lot of us in the 1980s, if we didn't get a scholarship, we couldn't play or wouldn't even be able to go to school," he says.

"It helped us so that we didn't have to worry about part-time jobs when we were still playing. The money enabled us to focus on the education as well as play the sport. Most of the guys are now in their 50s. And most have progressed along in our careers that in order to make a $100 donation to the event, it shouldn't impact most of the people financially."

While Homecoming is a way to stay connected, it's also an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have passed on, such as 1980s alumni Stan Kaminski and Ron Talakoski, as well as long-time team manager Pat Gill.

"Dave [Henry] let me know that an anonymous donation came in for $1000 from one of the players from the 1980s in honour of Pat Gill," Kessler says.

"So again, it's a chance to reflect on the things you experienced while you were there, and it's an opportunity now, to give back to the program and remember those that are no longer with us, because it did shape our lives, there's no doubt about it. Bison football shaped everyone's life who was involved in it."