Kelly Cup, Parades, Open Barracks, Football and More!
Key Events
0730: Pre-sold Parent’s Day t-shirt and tote bag pickup and new sales – Second Floor of Mark Clark Hall (until 1PM – will break for Parade) – we will post the link to order as we finalize the platform.
0800: Band Rooms (only) open for Parents
0830: Regimental Pipe Band parades through the Barracks
0830: Barracks Open – All Barracks
0845: Kelly Cup Finals – Padgett-Thomas Barracks Quad
0945: Rifle Legion Performance – Padgett-Thomas Quad
0955: Freshmen Promotion Ceremony (Company Areas)
1015: Barracks closed to visitors
1100: Dress Parade
1145: Lunch – See details below
1300: Cadet Formation and March to the Stadium
1400: Kickoff – Go Dog’s! Beat East Tennessee State! Click here to get your tickets
Additional Information
Parents Weekend is packed full of activities designed to show you some of the time-honored traditions of The Citadel and make you proud of the work your cadet has been doing! Without prior planning, you could find yourself running from one end of campus to the other on Saturday. It is important to plan with your family what you will do that day – especially in the morning. Sunday will be a much slower pace.
Our advice is to arrive early. The campus will be clobbered with vehicles and you do not want to risk missing any of the events. Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A will open at 0700 for food and drinks. Daniel Library, which has a small coffee stand, will be open by 0730. In the past, Public Safety has had to close the campus to traffic before 0915.
We open the barracks at 0800 for the Band families since members of the Band have very little time to spend with them due to other duties that morning. The first Saturday event for everyone else is Open Barracks at 0830. This is a great time for your Cadet to show you their room – hopefully how clean it is – and share some of their stories. Also, listen for the bagpipes as they make their way through each battalion.
Before you leave their room, plan where to meet after parade
and remind them to call if they get delayed or decide to change the plan!
0845: Make you way to Padgett-Thomas Barracks (the one with the clock tower) in time to watch the impressive Kelly Cup finals. The Kelly Cup is awarded to the best drilled Freshman squad. Each company enters their best and over the days leading up to Saturday, that number is whittled down to the best five squads in the Corps. They have put in a lot of work to get to the finals, so please remain quiet as they are being graded. It is important that they hear their leader’s commands.
0945: The Citadel Rifle Legion will perform on the Second Battalion Quad when the Kelly Cup finals are complete. This is an impressive group of cadets who serve as our ambassadors at events throughout the southeast.
0955: For parents of Freshmen, DO NOT BE LATE for the Freshmen Promotion Ceremony that will take place in their respective Company Areas. During this ceremony your Cadet Recruit will drop the “Recruit” from their rank. They will receive their company letters which they will now wear with great pride on their collars instead of their shirt pockets.
After the Promotion Ceremony (~1015), the barracks will close to allow the cadets to prepare for parade. As you find your place to watch the parade, remember, if you were looking at the Parade Field from Padgett-Thomas Barracks, the companies will march to their positions from left to right left starting with the Band then alphabetically across the Parade Field. Also while you are waiting, enjoy the Carillon Concert coming from Thomas Dry Howie Tower next to the Chapel. This is one of the largest Dutch bell installations in the Western Hemisphere with bells ranging in size from 25 to 4,400 pounds. Click here to find out more about our carillon.
1100: The Dress Parade. Highlights of this parade include the Freshmen Cadets joining the Corps and a Jeep Review of the Corps by General Walters, the Regimental Commander and the Regimental Commander’s parents who represent all parents and families! We will also award the Regimental Commanders Bowl to the company earning top marks in during the Cadre Training Period, the Kelly Cup to the best drilled freshman squad and the Cadre Leadership Award to top cadre squad sergeant. The Parade should be completed by 1145.
After Parade your cadet(s) will have to drop off their rifles and possibly meet you for a quick lunch. With the football game kickoff at 1400, they will have to be back in the barracks to form up to march over to the stadium around 1300. Cadets may find it easier for them to grab a quick bite at Coward Hall without their family. The key is to have a plan and make sure they let you know if they decide to make a change to the plan.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU COORDINATE WHERE YOU WILL MEET AFTER PARADE BEFORE YOU DEPART THE BARRACKS THAT MORNING!
Additional Information: Saturday Lunch
We will have several lunch venues which you will need to pre-pay for. We will post the link to the site once plans are finalized. Here are the options:
- The Citadel Family Association BBQ Buffet – Buyer Auditorium which is located on the second floor of Mark Clark Hall.
- Coward Hall – eat lunch where you cadet eats each day. Band families can eat upstairs since their cadets need to leave early.
- Deas Hall: We will provide Turkey, Ham and Vegetarian Box lunches options.
- CAA BBQ Buffett at the HAC
If you Pre-Order your lunches, we will have lists with your name at the entrance to each location. If you don’t want to pre-order, you can still grab a bite at the Canteen (Chick-fil-A), inside the Football Stadium during the game or have a small tailgate at your car.
Couple of lessons learned with the lunches:
1) You only have an hour between the end of parade and your cadet having to be back in formation. Band has less time. So, impress upon your cadets not to delay in dropping off their rifles and meeting you at the prearranged location you agreed to before parade. Every year I see parents waiting outside the barracks while their cadets have decided to take a nap without telling them! Let them know it’s OK to change the plan as long as they let you know!
2) Plan ahead and select a place to eat. The Canteen/Chick-fil-A is a great place to eat, but each year the line goes out the door and down to the Chapel. When it got close to 1300, the cadets needed to leave and the families ended up grabbing a bite at the stadium after spending an hour in line. We try and reduce the lines each year, but Parents’ Day is crowded. The key is to have a plan and communicate with your cadet.
3) Don’t think of lunch as a relaxing time to spend with your cadet. It is a time to get a quick bite to eat and move on to the Stadium for the football game.
The Football Game!
At approximately 1315 the Regimental Band will lead the Corps to the Stadium. They stop by the HAC enroute to help people get in the mood to cheer on the “Dogs”. The remainder of the Corps will march down Hagood Avenue around 1330 to prepare for their march onto the field. If you can, head to the HAC to watch the and the rest of the Corps march, and after your cadet’s company has passed, head into the stadium to watch the Corps enter the stadium and render honors to our nation and guests.
1400: Kickoff of The Citadel/East Tennessee State football game! This is a key game for the “Dogs” as they continue their quest for another Southern Conference Championship! If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, click on this link.
Something to look forward to is the Summerall Guards halftime performance. Notice how quiet it gets during their performance.
After the game. Cadets are allowed to go on leave after the game and, if authorized, an overnight. During the game the Commandant and Regimental Commander may recommend to the President that he should modify when Cadets need to return to campus (Hint: cheer hard!). Any changes will be announced over the stadium PA system at the end of the game.
Remember this is a packed day so wear appropriate clothing, especially your shoes. Also, start hydrating the day before. Make sure you take care of yourselves so you can enjoy the time with your cadet!
We hope you have a GREAT Day!
General Leave for those not authorized to take an overnight
Upperclassmen: after the game until 0100
Freshmen: after the game until Midnight
Note: these times may change based on the Commandant’s and Regimental Commander’s assessment of how loud the cadets and families cheer during the game!