NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee State University's homecoming weekend is in full swing, bringing generations of Tigers back to campus for the annual "Roar on the Yard" celebration.
With 99 years of homecoming tradition, TSU delivered on all fronts—food, music, and the kind of community that keeps alumni coming back year after year.
Watch report from Aaron Cantrell
The Grammy Award-winning Aristocrat of Bands performed at the annual pep rally, setting the tone for a weekend packed with festivities.
"You can't have an event without having some fried catfish," one attendee said.
For alumni like Shay Marble, a member of the class of 2012, homecoming is about more than a party.
"This is our school and this is homecoming. We're coming home," Marble said.
"It's unbreakable. It's a sisterhood for real," she added.
This year's celebration held special meaning for Jeff Benthall, a 2005 graduate who watched his son, Brendan, walk across the stage in May.
"I used to feel like what was good enough for me wasn't good enough for him, but when we decided to come to TSU, I started to see it from a legacy standpoint," Jeff said.
Brendan, who graduated in 2024, said his father never let him lose sight of the finish line.
"He's been on my back the last four years — you just got to graduate, you just got to graduate, do your own thing," Brendan said.
Jeff's own journey to TSU began with a simple search in the early 2000s.
"I found TSU on dial-up internet. Had no reason to come here outside of just trying to be a better me," Jeff said.
TSU gave Jeff more than a degree. He met his wife on campus, and now shares that Tiger legacy with his son.
"To have a kid and raise him to be self-sufficient and believe in himself and see his path and journey — and step back behind him — I mean, it never fades. It's through and strong. You can see it. The blue is strength," Jeff said.
That sentiment echoed across the yard, where Tiger pride was impossible to miss.
A Tennessee State University fraternity alumni chapter also reached a major fundraising milestone, surpassing $1 million in lifetime contributions to support students and future generations. It was announced at the pep rally.
The Rho Psi Alumni Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity has become the first Greek-letter organization to surpass $1 million in lifetime giving to the Tennessee State University Foundation, according to the university.
Since 2000, the chapter has established three accounts with the foundation to support students, including scholarships that help close financial gaps and allow students to continue their education.
Rho Psi Alumni Chapter President Martez Moore said the milestone represents decades of collective contributions from fraternity brothers committed to giving back to their alma mater.
"We’re going to make sure we continue this legacy as long as we can," Moore said. "It’s going to outlive all of us. This is for the generations that come after us."
The TSU Foundation is the university's official charitable organization, supporting scholarships, academic programs and other educational initiatives through private donations.
The chapter is now looking ahead to its next milestone with a fundraising campaign called "Two and Beyond," aimed at reaching $2 million in lifetime contributions.
Chapter members are also challenging other Greek-letter organizations to follow their lead by investing in future generations of TSU students.
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