Come spring, CSUN students will have the chance to showcase their school pride and celebrate the Matador life during Homecoming 2017.

Next year’s homecoming will be the first of its kind in almost a decade, according to Jorge Reyes, alumni marketing and program coordinator for the CSUN Alumni Association.

“This is an event not just for alumni, but for current students, parents, friends of the university, faculty and staff. It will be one of the biggest reunions for CSUN,” Reyes said.

The event, Reyes said, has been in the works for months and according to Cary Osborne, Alumni Communications coordinator for CSUN matketing and communications, the event will be better than ever.

“The timing is right because in the last 15 years, there has never been a better time to say ‘I’m a CSUN graduate or student,” Osborne said. “Our alumni relations program has grown significantly not just in size but in terms of talent and drive and they have done a phenomenal job to make this event happen.”

Guests will be able to enjoy a barbeque, a wine garden, live music entertainment and campus tours. A tailgate, pep rally, and basketball game will follow.

A custom-made 42-foot track “Matador Motorway” will also be set up at Matador Square. Students will be able to purchase small wooden cars to decorate and customize as they like as well as race them against each other.

“It’s going to be like ‘Cars’ meets Hotwheels. it’s pretty exciting,” Reyes said.

The proceeds from the races will go toward a new fund on campus, the MataCare Fund. This program is designed to help CSUN students who experience unexpected emergencies with short-term financial support.

Osborne hopes this event will spark a strong will in students to showcase the improvements at CSUN. He also invites all organizations on campus to join.

“We’ve been kind of a secret but we’re no longer that. Everybody needs to know about this university and be proud of it,” Osborne said.

Reyes invites students to participate in this celebration and support fellow students on campus.

“Being a commuter school doesn’t define us,” Reyes said. “Being a Matador is having that spirit of being courageous, brave and having a different perspective than other campuses and to give back.”

The homecoming is set to take place Saturday, Feb. 11 with the support of Associated Students, the Financial Aid and Scholarship Department, the Athletics Department and many more.

“This is the first of what we hope will be an annual event. It’s an opportunity for people of various ages to get together and even network. It’s going to be a good time,” Osborne said.

Tickets are available for purchase online and prices will vary for students and alumni and for the different add-on activities. To learn more about the event visit their website here.

A previous version of this article stated that a football game would be part of the homecoming event, instead of a basketball game.