ELLISVILLE, Miss. — Bobcats past and present will return to Ellisville as Jones College celebrates Homecoming 2026 on Saturday, October 3. With this year’s theme, “Back Where You Belong,” the celebration will bring together alumni, students, employees, families and friends for a week filled with traditions, reunions and opportunities to celebrate the place generations of Bobcats have called home.
Homecoming festivities will begin Monday, September 28, as students kick off construction of their Homecoming floats from noon until 2 p.m. at Industrial Services. Later that evening, students will showcase their talents during Jones Got Talent at 7 p.m. on the Student Plaza.
On Tuesday, September 29, students can take the stage themselves during Karaoke on the Plaza from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Student Plaza.
The celebration continues Wednesday, September 30, with a Homecoming Pep Rally and DJ beginning at 7 p.m. on Centennial Plaza.
On Thursday, October 1, students will put the finishing touches on their Homecoming floats from 4 to 8 p.m. at Industrial Services before wrapping up the evening with Late Night Breakfast and Movie Night beginning at 8 p.m. at the Jones College Cafeteria and Student Plaza.
Friday’s festivities will include an Employee Luncheon and Tailgating Cook-Off from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on the Student Plaza. That evening, members of the JCJC Class of 1976 will return to campus to celebrate their 50-year reunion from 5 to 7 p.m. in the C.L. Neill Banquet Hall.
Homecoming Day on Saturday, October 3, will begin at 9 a.m. with an Alumni and Friends Brunch at the Terrell Tisdale Library. Registration for reunion class members will also begin at 9 a.m. at the library.
At 10 a.m., one of Jones College’s favorite Homecoming traditions returns as the Homecoming Parade makes its way through campus. Students will bring this year’s “Back Where You Belong” theme to life through their Homecoming floats as the Jones family gathers to celebrate generations of Bobcat pride.
Following the parade, alumni, students and friends are invited to Centennial Plaza for the Homecoming Pep Rally beginning at 11 a.m.
At 11:30 a.m., the Alumni Luncheon will be held in the A.B. Howard Gymnasium, where the 2026 Honor Alumni, Jones College Homecoming Court, Mr. and Miss JC and members of the JCJC Class of 1976 will be recognized.
Reservations for the luncheon can be made through the Jones College Alumni and Foundation Office by calling 601-477-4145, emailing jcjcalumniinfo@jcjc.edu or visiting the Alumni and Foundation events page on the Jones College website.
Also beginning at 11:30 a.m., Tailgating Under the Tents will welcome Bobcat Club members at Sim Cooley Field.
Attention will turn to Bobcat Stadium that afternoon as the Typhoon Marching Band kicks off pregame festivities with its pre-game show at 1:30 p.m. The Bobcats will take the field at 2 p.m. against Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Homecoming traditions will continue throughout the game. The 2026 Honor Alumni will be recognized between the first and second quarters, followed by the presentation of the 2026 Homecoming Court during halftime. Mr. and Miss JC will be presented between the third and fourth quarters.
Whether returning to campus after decades away or experiencing Homecoming for the first time as a student, the week offers every member of the Jones family an opportunity to reconnect with the people, traditions and memories that make Jones College feel like home.
On October 3, there’s only one place for Bobcats to be—Back Where You Belong.
For more information about Homecoming 2026, contact the Jones College Alumni and Foundation Office at 601-477-4145 or jcjcalumniinfo@jcjc.edu.
