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Homecoming 2026 celebrates Simpson’s past while looking towards its future

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Simpson University welcomes alumni, students, families and the Redding community to Homecoming 2026, Oct. 15-18. This year’s celebration marks Simpson’s 106th year, a history that began in 1921 in Seattle with the founding of Simpson Bible Institute and continued in San Francisco before the school settled in Redding in 1989.

This Homecoming honors the alumni who built that legacy while looking ahead to the students who will carry it forward. The weekend includes the ribbon cutting for the new Hugh and Hazel Darling Center for Business, Technology and Engineering, the Alumni Awards Banquet, athletics, music, fireworks and plenty of chances to reconnect. Here’s a day-by-day look at what’s happening.

Thursday, Oct. 15

Homecoming opens with the Music Department’s Fall Showcase at 7:30 p.m., led by Jonathan Dinsfriend, the department’s new chair, and Michael Yelverton, Simpson’s new marching band director. Both are new to Simpson’s faculty this year, so the showcase is also a chance for the community to meet them. Yelverton is in the process of building a marching band at the university. Entry is $10.

Friday, Oct. 16

Friday begins with a Homecoming chapel service at 10:20 a.m. From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can sit in on a current Simpson class or take a campus tour to see what student life looks like today.

At 2:30 p.m., Simpson will cut the ribbon on the Hugh and Hazel Darling Center for Business, Technology and Engineering, celebrating the official opening of the university’s newest academic building. The building is home to the largest classroom on campus, multiple engineering labs and the new Veteran Success Center, which will now be able to expand its services to veteran students. Guests can also purchase a name placard for a seat in the auditorium, leaving their mark for generations to come.

The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. at the duck pond, where students will race homemade boats in the boat regatta. From 5:30 to 7 p.m., enjoy a tailgate dinner at the baseball field, with inflatables for the kids.

The alumni baseball game starts at 6 p.m., opened by a flyover from a REACH helicopter. Once the game wraps up, around 8 p.m., stay for a free fireworks show over the field.

Saturday, Oct. 17

Saturday starts early with the 5th annual Red Hawk 5K Run/Walk at 8 a.m. Community members are welcome to register. For $20, participants receive a bib, a T-shirt and a complimentary continental breakfast, served from 7 to 9 a.m. The race starts and finishes on campus.

At 9 a.m., an art exhibit inspired by the theme “Gateway to World Service: Here, There, Everywhere” opens in the Owen Center. Over at the softball field, a field-naming ceremony begins at 8:45 a.m., followed by the alumni softball game at 9 a.m.

At 10:30 a.m. in LR 204, Dr. Jack Davidson and alumni Jackson and Laura Cha and Brandon Hall will share stories of Simpson’s missionary legacy.

The Homecoming football game is at Central Valley High School, where Simpson takes on Carroll College. The tailgate starts at noon, and kickoff is at 1 p.m. Back on campus, the men’s basketball team holds a scrimmage at 3:15 p.m.

From 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Alumni Awards Banquet in the Emeriti Dining Center celebrates reunion classes and this year’s award recipients:

  • Regan Ortega, Community Leader Award: A 2014 graduate of Simpson’s ASPIRE degree-completion program, Ortega is now a captain with the Redding Police Department.
  • Jack Davidson, Distinguished Alumnus Award: An alumnus from Simpson’s early days in Seattle, Davidson remains part of the university’s history and legacy.
  • Jackson and Laura Cha, Young Alumni Award: Jackson, a 2011 graduate, and his wife, Laura, spent seven years overseas supporting refugees and now serve families in need in Salem, Oregon.
  • Dr. Rich Brown, Lamplighter of the Year: Brown served Simpson for 21 years in pastoral studies, seminary leadership and student development.

At 7 p.m., the women’s volleyball team celebrates senior night against Westcliff University.

Saturday ends with the alumni reunion social on the second floor of the library. The social honors the classes of 1976, 1986, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2016, but alumni from every year are welcome.

Sunday, Oct. 18

The weekend closes with a worship service in the Student Union at 9 a.m. At 1 p.m., the women’s volleyball team faces Westcliff University again.

Whether you’re coming back after decades or visiting campus for the first time, Homecoming 2026 is a chance to celebrate where Simpson has been and see where it’s headed. For the full schedule of events, visit simpsonu.edu/homecoming.

Commuter Life at Simpson University

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North State Promise Opens the Door for More Local Students at Simpson University 

For students across Northern California, attending college close to home is becoming a more accessible option as Simpson University expands opportunities for local students through its new North State Promise. 

The initiative reflects Simpson’s commitment to investing in future local leaders while making higher education more affordable, accessible, and local. Incoming traditional undergraduate students from Northern California who qualify for the program receive an automatic 50% discount on tuition. 

As more North State students consider Simpson, some may choose to commute from home rather than live on campus. Currently, about 30% of Simpson’s undergraduate students commute to the university. 

For senior Glorianna Junokas, commuting has allowed her to remain connected to her local community while becoming deeply involved in life at Simpson. 

Junokas grew up about 30 minutes from the university but had never visited the campus until she attended a tour. 

“I actually was not planning on coming to Simpson,” Junokas said. “But I ended up coming to one of the tour days, like the Spring Preview Tour Day. And I ended up really falling in love with the campus. I remember thinking like, I couldn’t believe Simpson has been here this whole time, and I lived here this whole time and never stepped foot on campus. And the next thing I knew, I was fully enrolled as a student here at Simpson.” 

A residential experience with options for local students 

Simpson is a residential university and encourages students to live on campus during their college careers. However, certain students may qualify to live off campus and commute. 

Students may qualify for commuter status if they live with a parent, legal guardian or grandparent within 35 miles of campus. Other circumstances that may qualify include being married or having children living with them, having served three or more years in the armed services, having an off-campus job that requires them to live at their place of employment, already owning a local home, or having a documented disability that has been approved through Simpson’s accommodations process. 

For students who qualify, commuting can also provide significant savings. Students who live at home could save on housing costs and dining costs. 

Those savings come with other considerations, including gasoline and vehicle wear and tear on your vehicle. Students who spend much of their day on campus may also need to budget for meals while they are at school. 

For Junokas, commuting has not kept her from making Simpson a major part of her daily life. 

“There are definitely days where I come here, I have an 8 a.m., and I stay all the way until the library closes at 9 p.m.,” she said. “I have definitely done that multiple times, especially being a science major.” 

Building community beyond the classroom 

One of the challenges commuter students can face is finding opportunities to develop friendships and become connected to campus life. 

“For commuters, it’s a little bit harder; you have to have a little bit more effort to make connections and friends because it is very easy to just come and do your classes and then leave and go home,” Junokas said. 

Simpson’s commuter support team works to help students overcome that barrier by creating opportunities specifically designed to bring commuter students together. 

“We really want to foster community among the commuters, so that they really feel like they belong and that they, you know, have a place at Simpson,” Junokas said. 

The commuter support team organizes events, sends commuter updates and offers activities designed to encourage students to connect with one another. 

“We have commuter challenges, like a weekly challenge, and our goal is to get other commuters to meet commuters,” Junokas said. 

Events are planned with commuter schedules in mind. Some activities take place shortly after classes, while others may be scheduled in the morning or during the middle of the school day. 

A commuter lunch in the campus dining area, for example, gives students an opportunity to meet other commuters without requiring them to make a separate trip to campus. 

Making the most of campus life 

While Junokas lives off campus, she has found ways to make Simpson’s campus feel like an important part of her college experience. 

She regularly uses campus facilities for studying, particularly the library. 

“I spend a lot of time in the library,” she said. “I really like the quiet rooms for studying, because if I go home I will be distracted.” 

Commuting also does not prevent students from participating in extracurricular activities. 

“A lot of commuters are still athletes, and still very involved on campus,” Junokas said. 

For Junokas, attending athletic events is another way to experience the community that makes up college life. 

“It’s really fun to, like, sit in a cheer section, and you really get to feel like you are having that college experience, going to a game and cheering for people,” she said. 

She encourages other commuter students to attend games and support their classmates. 

“I think going to games are definitely worthwhile, and you get to cheer on your classmates, especially if you have met other commuters that are also on the sports team; you get to cheer them on, and yeah, it’s pretty cool.” 

A local path to the Simpson experience 

As the North State Promise brings Simpson’s affordability within reach for more students from Northern California, the university is also creating opportunities for local students to build their college experience in a way that fits their circumstances. 

For some students, that may mean living in a residence hall and experiencing campus life around the clock. For others, it may mean returning home each evening while spending much of the day learning, studying, competing and building friendships on campus. 

For Junokas, the combination has allowed her to stay connected to home while embracing the Simpson community. 

Her experience illustrates that being a commuter does not have to mean being on the outside of campus life. With intentional effort, support and opportunities to connect, local students can make Simpson University their college home—even when they sleep somewhere else.