Purdue University Northwest celebrates 9th Annual Homecoming Sports Fest with community members and fans

On Saturday, Sept. 13, Purdue University Northwest (PNW) brought together campus community members and the public to celebrate Homecoming Sports Festival and rally around PNW athletics teams at Dowling Park and the Kube in Hammond, Ind.

Attendees were treated to a day filled with food, music, activities, and a lineup of exhilarating sporting events. While the athletics schedule dominates the day, the PNW Homecoming Sports Fest always finds a way to give everybody an opportunity to participate in the fun. This year’s event gave people an opportunity to try cornhole, play minigames, and meet PNW’s mascot, Leo the Lion.

“It’s an awesome way for us to celebrate our student-athletes,” said Rick Costello, director of athletics. “They work so hard, and they’re great students. There’s a lot of great things happening here at Purdue Northwest, and we’re pleased to share them with the viewers.”

The sports schedule for this year’s festival consisted of NCAA Division II men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball and softball teams, as well as the university’s ACHA Division I and II men’s ice hockey teams. Additionally, the women’s flag football team showcased their skills in an exhibition match in preparation for its first ever season in spring 2026.

PNW’s Homecoming Sports Festival started as a way to bring the PNW family, friends, and its biggest fans together for an outdoor event near the start of the academic year. The event is one of the best opportunities for people to come support multiple PNW athletics teams all in one space.

“We’re at a total of 22 teams and over 530 athletes this year, both of which are historic highs,” Costello said. “We’re involved in a lot of community service as well, such as Make-A-Wish, Special Olympics, and Team Impact.”

PNW believes that the athletic teams and student-athletes play a significant role in shaping this university. With this year being the 9th Annual Homecoming Sports Fest, PNW wants the students to feel supported and celebrate this event with success, as well as to engage as proud and successful alumni.

“Our student-athletes are some of the greatest ambassadors that we have at the university,” Wilk said. “They’re absolutely stupendous in the classroom, on the field, on the court, and on the ice rink. It’s great for the community to be able to see how much athletics has grown at the university.”

Several booths at the event showcased the student organizations at PNW. This year’s celebration was presented by Laborers’ Local 41.Other booths included some of the PNW Corporate Champion sponsors, such as South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority, Bibibop Asian Grill, and Play It Again Sports.For more information on PNW and its upcoming events, you can visit pnw.edu.