Junior mass communications major and basketball player Jeremy Crane is looking forward to his first homecoming at Wesleyan.

“I’m excited for it because at my high school all the homecoming stuff was centered around football,” Crane said. “So I think it’s cool being a part of a small school that kind of looks forward to big basketball games.”

Crane doesn’t know exactly what to expect but he hopes for free food, an excited crowd and the Rams and Lady Rams to emerge victorious in their games against the University of Science and Arts.

According to David Monge, the coordinator for student organizations and Greek life, the week leading up to the Feb. 11 games has been revamped to encourage more access to activities and more of a focus on basketball.

“We’ve added tons of activities in the middle for people to do,” Monge said, “so now it should be more of an experience.”

Monge said a committee made up of members of Student Life, the Student Government Association, alumni relations and athletics has been planning the event for months.

“I think a lot of events themselves are similar, but we moved timing,” Monge said. “For example, on Friday there use to be a party at night in a residence hall. We were finding that it was great to do something for residence life but they were really the only ones that could come in less you knew about it and knew how to get in there.”

To improve the event, Monge said the committee moved the party to the daytime to make it more accessible to students and made the centerpiece of the event the basketball teams. The committee has been working to make sure the basketball teams get their spotlight by letting them judge the door contest and have the winning spirit banner behind their bench.

“This is the last year that homecoming will be centered around the basketball teams so we wanted to honor that,” Monge said. “It’s only the basketball teams (in this homecoming) because in the fall it will be our first football homecoming. There are two (homecomings) this year which is going to interesting.”

While Crane is sad to see homecoming leave basketball he’s good with the transition if it makes the majority of students happy.

“I mean Texas is a football-oriented state so whatever gets the main majority of students excited,” Crane said. “I think they’re probably taking it in the right direction but they should have some type of special event for basketball to keep people excited for the games.”

Athletic Director Steve Trachier says it’s common to have football and homecoming be paired together.

“I like the idea of having homecoming at a football game but I also don’t want to take away from the history of our basketball program having hosted homecoming for so many years,” Trachier said. “We’re going to try to do a celebration game somewhere in our basketball season as well.”

Trachier doesn’t feel the transition to incorporate football with homecoming will affect basketball too much.

“I think basketball is going to remain one of the most popular sports,” Trachier said. “I’m thinking we’ll always have a great turnout.”

Trachier said he believes both teams have the potential this season to go to nationals, especially the men’s team. He expects great things from the upcoming homecoming games.

“Our homecoming games are always well attended and there’s always a lot of excitement,” Trachier said.

Both Crane and senior liberal arts major and basketball player Dion Rogers are excited to play the game. Rogers feels the seniors will be most impacted by it.

“It could be emotional I guess for the seniors,” Rogers said, “because it’s going to be our last homecoming.”

For more information on Texas Wesleyan’s homecoming activities, go to txwes.edu.