It̢۪s that monumental moment when 41,031 chanting fans stand, raising their hands toward the sky boxes and whip up the biggest Red Wave the San Joaquin Valley will ever see. It̢۪s that moment when Fresno State stands up to San Jose proving who really is Sparta, as the dogs̢۪ hustle and bustle back to the locker-room. And it̢۪s that moment at halftime when the marching band, color guard, cheerleaders, dance team and elaborately decorated floats take over the field and the homecoming king and queen committee crown the last candidates standing.

If only, if only, this was a real college.

However, there is no such committee or for that matter no king, no queen, no dance, no rally, no floats, no alums, no parade. Just a celebrity look-a-like contest, karaoke and a football game — now how is that any different from any other non-Hollywood homecoming weekend?
And who in their right mind would choose a city that is engulfed in fire as a motif for homecoming?

Is Pat Hill the chair of the theme council or something? Fiesta. Whiteout. Hollywood. What̢۪s the next home game theme going to be, Mormon night for Utah State?

Giving Mr. Chairman the benefit of the doubt, I decided to call Marcus Rodriguez, the director of program and leadership at California State University, Los Angeles located in the heart of Hollywood in regards to their homecoming theme.

And let me tell you, it̢۪s not Fresno, yet.

“A theme has yet to be determined, but in support of our sister campus going Hollywood, the idea of a Fresno homecoming will be brought to the committee and considered,â€Â Rodriguez said sarcastically.

I can see it now — a homecoming themed after the dumbest city in America. The competition for best float would be a heated rivalry between a Mutt Cutts float with Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne look-a-likes, and a meth lab on wheels with WWE wannabes laying the smack down on local pregnant teens.

It̢۪s quite funny that students can unite to form a committee to kill zombies and not form a homecoming committee.

Long before Fresno State began serving the community in 1922, a little tradition called homecoming filled universities with thousands of students, alumni and family and friends to reunite for a jam-packed weekend of festivities.

For some, homecoming may just be a glorified popularity contest and another lame excuse to drink. But for those who were introduced to homecoming in high school, it is much more.

In high school the king and queen coronation was nothing more than a vote, a halftime time worthy show and a couple fake smiles and practiced waves that landed a color photo in the yearbook.

Students can lose their virginity in the dorms, but according to USU productions students aren̢۪t permitted to have dances on campus.
The century-old college tradition has officially died out.

It̢۪s no wonder students got flustered when asked the simple question: What is homecoming anyway?