1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 1, 2026) – Homecoming Week is just days away at the University of Kentucky, bringing alumni back to campus while giving current students an opportunity to take part in traditions that have connected generations of Wildcats. On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue,’ Kelly Holland, incoming president of the UK Alumni Association, and Jill Smith, Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Executive Director of the UK Alumni Association, join host Kody Kiser to discuss Homecoming 2026 and the many ways alumni can remain connected to UK long after graduation. Holland reflects on her own UK journey — from an active student and Homecoming Queen to a UK employee, alumni volunteer and now Alumni Association president — and discusses her goal of encouraging Wildcats to give back to the university in ways that are meaningful to them. Holland and Smith also preview Homecoming Week activities, including the Homecoming football game and royalty traditions, the Block Party at Alumni Commons, the Lyman T. Johnson Awards, the Golden Wildcat Reunion celebrating the Class of 1976 and other opportunities for alumni, students, families and friends to reconnect with UK. For the latest schedule, event information and updates for Homecoming 2026, visit UKHomecoming.com. To learn more about the UK Alumni Association, alumni clubs, events, career services, networking opportunities and ways to get involved, visit UKAlumni.net. ‘Behind the Blue’ is available via a variety of podcast providers, including Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Spotify. Subscribe to receive new episodes each week, featuring UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists, writers and the most important news impacting the university. ‘Behind the Blue’ is a production of the University of Kentucky. Transcripts for most episodes are now embedded in the audio file and can be accessed in many podcast apps during playback. Transcripts for older episodes remain available on the show’s&amp;nbsp;blog page.&amp;nbsp; To discover how the University of Kentucky is advancing our Commonwealth, click here. This interview has been edited for time and clarity. Behind the Blue http://behindtheblue.libsyn.com/podcast <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/43098138/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/0033a3/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/206850753