Dates of The Citadel’s biggest events for the upcoming academic year

The dates for many of the big events, as well as the Bulldogs football schedule, for the 2024 – 25 academic year are now posted on The Citadel Today on one, easy-to-access page.

Additionally, a list of The Citadel’s primary celebrations can be found below.

Matriculation Day

Saturday, Aug. 10

Matriculation Day is when hundreds of cadet-recruits report to campus and officially begin their Citadel careers. Processing for members of the Class of 2028 will begin at the Holliday Alumni Center, where they will receive company and room assignments; later, the incoming class will get haircuts, uniforms and necessarily equipment. Starting on Matriculation Day and continuing through the rest of the year, the cadet-recruits will begin to receive their military instruction.

Parents’ Weekend

Friday, Sept. 27 – Sunday, Sept. 29

Parents’ Weekend features traditional events like the military dress parade, drill competitions and performances by the Regimental Band and Pipes. But the highlights of the weekend are the promotion of Fourth Class (freshman) cadets to conclude the cadre training period and the presentation of class rings to the First Class (senior) cadets.

Leadership Day

Wednesday, Oct. 16

During The Citadel’s annual Leadership Day, all regularly scheduled classes are replaced with an on or off-campus training, seminar or service project for all cadets. Day students living off-campus and graduate students may also participate in the event.

Leaders in Philanthropy Weekend

Friday, Oct. 25 – Saturday, Oct. 26

Every fall, the newest Leaders in Philanthropy gather on campus with family and friends to be inducted into The Citadel’s legacy, cumulative, and lifetime giving societies, which represent donors of estate gifts, 25-year consecutive giving, or cumulative contributions totaling $100,000 or more.

Homecoming

Friday, Nov. 8 – Sunday, Nov. 10

As early as the Class of 1886, Citadel graduates have been holding reunions on campus to celebrate their achievements and catch up with their classmates. Homecoming now spans three days and includes not only reunion celebrations, but a host of activities that highlight the Corps of Cadets and alumni achievements.

Scholarship Donor Event

Thursday, February 27

The Scholarship Donor Event is held each spring and invites donors whose scholarships have been awarded back to Charleston to meet their scholarship recipient(s). This event alternates each year between a formal dinner off-campus and a Scholarship Day which features various activities on campus.

Corps Day and Recognition Day

Friday, March 21 – Sunday, March 23

Corps Day is the birthday of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets, and is one of the most highly attended weekends at The Citadel. Attractions include dress parades, awards presentations, special cadet performances and athletic events.

Recognition Day is a momentous occasion in the life of a knob. It means the end for rigid formations, walking in single file at breakneck speed and the highly regimented way of life that is The Citadel’s Fourth-Class System: the toughest college military training system in the country.

Class of 2025 Commencement

Saturday, May 3

Commencement exercises are held in May of every year to confer academic degrees upon members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and students in The Citadel Graduate College. A week of events leads up to graduation day, including the Star of the West competition for the best drilled cadet, commissioning ceremonies, and the Long Gray Line parade in which the graduating class becomes part of the long gray line of alumni when they transfer command to the upcoming senior class.

Bulldogs Football

Date	Game and event
Aug. 31	at Charleston Southern
Sept. 7	vs. South Carolina State
Sept. 14	vs. North Greenville – Military Appreciation
Sept. 21	at Mercer
Sept. 28	vs. ETSU – Parents’ Weekend
Oct. 5	vs. Furman
Oct. 12	at Western Carolina
Oct. 19	at VMI – Military Classic of the South
Oct. 26	vs. Samford – Senior Day and Leaders in Philanthropy Weekend
Nov. 9	vs. Chattanooga – Homecoming
Nov. 16	at Wofford
Nov. 23	at Clemson