The 2017 homecoming parade will be shorter in both length and time but not because of the ongoing Bancroft Street construction.
The construction on Bancroft Street has affected the planning and route of the parade, but a UTPD policy that requires parking lots 12 and 13 to be cleared three hours before kickoff will shorten the parade, Blue Key president Alex DiBell wrote in an email.
This year, the parade has changed significantly and will take participants from Campus Road, onto Bancroft Street, through Old Orchard neighborhood and back onto Bancroft Street before returning to UT, DiBell wrote.
As of writing this article, Bancroft Street in front of University Hall is closed to repair and replace gas lines but should be open in a “couple” days, laborer Kyle Fust said.
The eastbound lane will be open on Saturday for the parade, but spectators will only be able to stand on the south side of Bancroft, DiBell wrote.
The parade was also shortened to accommodate the game-time schedule determined by ESPN, so the university is “compelled to have the parade start at 8 a.m. and have the lots cleared by 9 a.m.,” he wrote.
To shorten the parade, “we removed groups that were not student organizations or explicitly UT-related,” DiBell wrote. “We also brought [the route] in one block toward campus to speed things up.”
To ensure everyone’s safety, Miller Brothers Construction assured Blue Key that road conditions should be suitable for the parade, DiBell wrote.
“Floats are required to be certain dimensions that fit a standard road size in one direction,” he wrote. “This means that they will be able to fit the eastbound land.”
According to the homecoming website, the Aloha Rockets Homecoming Parade will take place Oct. 7 at 8 a.m., and the football game will kickoff at noon.
Follow The Independent Collegian
