GEORGIA, WE NEED TO BUILD TOGETHER. An Open Call to Universities, Student Leaders, Alumni, Promoters, Venues, Brands, Creators and Businesses Ahead of the CRUSH UNIVERSITY™ Fall 2026 Homecoming Movem

GEORGIA, WE NEED TO BUILD TOGETHER.

An Open Call to Universities, Student Leaders, Alumni, Promoters, Venues, Brands, Creators and Businesses Ahead of the CRUSH UNIVERSITY™ Fall 2026 Homecoming Movement

CRUSH MAGAZINE™ | CRUSH UNIVERSITY™ | FALL 2026

This isn’t another announcement asking people to come to a party.

It’s bigger than that.

This is a call to the people who build the weekend.

The universities.

Student leaders.

Alumni.

Promoters.

Venue owners.

DJs.

Photographers.

Designers.

Athletes.

Campus creators.

Restaurants.

Hotels.

Transportation companies.

Security professionals.

Production companies.

Black-owned businesses.

Corporate brands.

Media organizations.

And entrepreneurs who understand something fundamental:

HOMECOMING IS AN ECONOMY.

Every fall, thousands of people move across Georgia because universities give them a reason to come home.

They drive.

Fly.

Book rooms.

Buy clothes.

Get haircuts.

Get their hair done.

Eat.

Drink.

Shop.

Tailgate.

Buy tickets.

Hire photographers.

Purchase merchandise.

Attend games.

Support vendors.

Create content.

Reconnect.

Celebrate.

And then move to the next city.

Atlanta.

Athens.

Albany.

Savannah.

Statesboro.

There is already an ecosystem.

The opportunity isn’t to invent it.

THE OPPORTUNITY IS TO CONNECT IT.

That’s where CRUSH UNIVERSITY™ comes in.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR BUILDERS.

Not spectators.

Builders.

People and organizations interested in creating something valuable around one of the most culturally powerful seasons of the year.

The objective is not simply putting CRUSH logos across Georgia.

The objective is creating an infrastructure where:

Students gain opportunities.

Businesses gain customers.

Promoters make money.

Venues make money.

Creators get exposure and get paid.

Sponsors receive measurable value.

Cities receive visitors.

Universities receive positive cultural coverage.

Alumni reconnect.

And customers receive experiences worth returning to.

Everybody doesn’t have to win equally.

But everybody should have a legitimate opportunity to win.

That’s partnership.

TO GEORGIA’S UNIVERSITIES:

WE WANT TO DOCUMENT WHAT YOU’RE BUILDING.

Georgia State.

University of Georgia.

Morehouse.

Spelman.

Clark Atlanta.

Albany State.

Savannah State.

Georgia Southern.

Your Homecomings existed before CRUSH UNIVERSITY™.

They do not belong to us.

Your institutions built those traditions.

Your students sustain them.

Your alumni return for them.

Your bands, athletes, faculty, staff, organizations and communities give them meaning.

We respect that.

CRUSH UNIVERSITY™ is not asking to replace university tradition.

We’re interested in something else:

AMPLIFYING IT.

Student-leadership profiles.

Entrepreneurship coverage.

Athlete stories.

Alumni features.

Campus culture.

Fashion.

Music.

Business.

History.

Community impact.

Homecoming economics.

The stories surrounding the game deserve documentation too.

AND WHERE FORMAL PARTNERSHIP MAKES SENSE—

Let’s have that conversation.

There is room to explore legitimate collaboration around:

Student entrepreneurship.

Media.

Creator opportunities.

Community programming.

Career development.

Business education.

Hospitality.

Tourism.

Entertainment.

Alumni engagement.

And responsible off-campus programming.

But those relationships should be real.

Not implied.

Not invented.

Not created by putting a university logo on a flyer.

If we’re partners—

let’s actually partner.

TO STUDENT GOVERNMENT:

WE WANT TO KNOW WHO IS LEADING NOW.

SGA presidents.

Vice presidents.

Class officers.

Senators.

Programming leaders.

Student organization presidents.

You don’t have to promote a CRUSH event to matter to CRUSH Magazine™.

We want to document student leadership because today’s student leaders become tomorrow’s:

Executives.

Attorneys.

Politicians.

Educators.

Entrepreneurs.

Doctors.

Artists.

Organizers.

Investors.

Community leaders.

Your leadership story shouldn’t begin when somebody decides you’re famous enough for Wikipedia.

It is happening now.

TO CAMPUS ENTREPRENEURS:

WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU.

The student making shirts from a dorm room.

The photographer with three lenses and twenty clients.

The barber booked all week.

The stylist whose Homecoming appointments disappeared a month ago.

The graphic designer behind the flyers.

The producer making beats after class.

The student running an online store.

The young founder building software.

The caterer.

The videographer.

The sneaker reseller.

The clothing designer.

The event promoter.

The creator monetizing an audience.

Homecoming customers are already spending money.

The question is:

HOW MUCH OF THAT ECONOMY REACHES STUDENT BUSINESSES?

We want to help make those businesses visible.

TO PROMOTERS:

WE DON’T NEED FLYER DISTRIBUTORS.

We need operators.

There is a difference.

We’re looking for people who know their markets.

People who understand:

Customers.

Venues.

Ticketing.

Pricing.

Promotion.

Talent.

Operations.

Safety.

Hospitality.

Content.

And most importantly—

conversion.

Don’t tell us how many followers you have.

Show us what you’ve built.

Show us what you’ve sold.

Show us your market.

Show us your reputation.

Show us your execution.

Because Fall 2026 isn’t one event.

It’s a road.

And local expertise matters at every stop.

ATLANTA.

We need Atlanta people.

ATHENS.

We need Athens people.

ALBANY.

We need Albany people.

SAVANNAH.

We need Savannah people.

STATESBORO.

We need Statesboro people.

People who understand those cities better than somebody sitting behind a laptop hundreds of miles away ever could.

The objective isn’t replacing local promoters.

IT’S BUILDING WITH THE RIGHT ONES.

TO VENUE OWNERS:

LET’S TALK BUSINESS.

The venue is not background.

It’s one of the most important pieces of the experience.

We are interested in rooms capable of delivering:

Professional operations.

Clear capacity.

Responsible security.

Good customer flow.

Reliable management.

Quality sound.

Strong hospitality.

Reasonable economics.

And an environment people actually want to return to.

A venue partnership shouldn’t be adversarial.

If the event wins, the venue should win.

If the venue wins, the customer should feel it.

We want rooms interested in repeat business—not merely one expensive Saturday.

SAVANNAH ALREADY SHOWS WHAT LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE CAN LOOK LIKE.

The current Fall 2026 plan places:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

and

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

around Sey Hey during the Savannah State Homecoming weekend.

That’s the model we’re continuing to build elsewhere:

A real city.

A real weekend.

A real room.

A real local relationship.

Not just another city name printed on promotional artwork.

TO CORPORATE BRANDS:

STOP BUYING LOGOS.

Build something people remember.

If you’re trying to reach college students, young professionals, alumni, creators, entrepreneurs and culturally engaged Southern consumers—

Homecoming is already telling you where they will be.

The question isn’t whether you can place your logo somewhere.

You can.

The better question:

WHAT CAN YOU ADD?

Transportation.

Hydration.

Technology.

Connectivity.

Hospitality.

Financial education.

Creator resources.

Student-business support.

Scholarships.

Travel assistance.

Giveaways.

Content.

Career opportunities.

Experiential activations.

Help solve something.

Then people remember the brand for more than signage.

WE WANT SPONSORS WHO WANT THE ENTIRE ROAD.

Not every partner needs every city.

But consider the larger footprint.

Fall 2026:

Atlanta.

Athens.

Atlanta again.

Albany.

Savannah.

Statesboro.

Then Spring 2027:

Miami.

Savannah/Tybee.

Atlanta.

Jacksonville.

Now the conversation becomes bigger than sponsoring one night.

It’s:

CAMPUS → CITY → BEACH → TRAVEL → CULTURE.

That’s an activation platform.

TO ALUMNI:

DON’T JUST COME HOME.

Bring something home.

Knowledge.

Opportunity.

Relationships.

Capital.

Mentorship.

Jobs.

Internships.

Business.

Introductions.

Students shouldn’t only see successful alumni standing at tailgates.

They should have opportunities to learn from them.

Homecoming can be reunion and economic development simultaneously.

Those ideas aren’t in conflict.

TO ALUMNI-OWNED BUSINESSES:

Come back as vendors.

Come back as sponsors.

Come back as employers.

Come back as mentors.

Come back as partners.

Come back as investors.

The alumni network becomes more valuable every time another generation can access it.

TO HOTELS:

HOMECOMING ISN’T JUST HEADS IN BEDS.

It’s customer acquisition.

Visitors are arriving.

Some haven’t been in your property before.

What experience will make them return?

Could there be:

Group rates?

Hospitality partnerships?

Creator accommodations?

Transportation packages?

Event bundles?

Welcome experiences?

There is room to think beyond the reservation.

TO RESTAURANTS:

THE EVENT DOESN’T END WHEN THE VENUE CLOSES.

People have to eat.

Before.

After.

The next morning.

Thousands of visitors need recommendations.

CRUSH Magazine™ should be able to tell them where to go.

That creates another opportunity:

Local restaurant guides.

Homecoming dining features.

Late-night food guides.

Black-owned restaurant spotlights.

Brunch recommendations.

Now event traffic becomes local-business traffic.

TO TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES:

There is an obvious problem worth solving.

People are traveling between:

Hotels.

Campuses.

Stadiums.

Venues.

Restaurants.

Airports.

Downtown districts.

Safer, reliable transportation makes the entire weekend better.

That’s not simply logistics.

That’s a partnership opportunity.

TO PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS:

HELP US BUILD THE ARCHIVE.

The events will end.

The images won’t.

We want the photographers who understand:

Crowds.

Fashion.

Portraiture.

Nightlife.

Sports.

Campus.

Emotion.

History.

We want videographers capable of making someone who wasn’t there feel like they missed something.

But this isn’t simply about content for tomorrow.

It’s about documentation for twenty years from now.

TO WRITERS AND STUDENT JOURNALISTS:

HELP US TELL THE STORY.

Who’s leading?

Who’s building?

What’s changing?

What does this generation care about?

What’s happening to college nightlife?

How is NIL changing athletes?

How are students making money?

What does Homecoming mean to alumni now?

Which businesses are growing?

Which traditions are disappearing?

Which ones are becoming stronger?

Those stories deserve reporting.

TO DJS:

WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE SOUTH SOUNDS LIKE BEFORE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.

What is Atlanta playing?

Athens?

Albany?

Savannah?

Statesboro?

Which student artist has the record nobody outside campus knows yet?

Which old song suddenly came back?

Which regional sound is moving?

DJs are cultural researchers whether they call themselves that or not.

CRUSH wants the information.

And the energy.

TO ARTISTS:

We’re listening.

But don’t send us only follower counts.

Send music.

Show performance ability.

Show audience.

Show consistency.

Show why your record belongs in the room.

Every artist doesn’t need to be famous.

Sometimes the next artist is more valuable to culture than the already famous one.

TO ATHLETES:

Your story doesn’t begin at kickoff and end at the final whistle.

Business.

NIL.

Education.

Family.

Fashion.

Music.

Entrepreneurship.

Community.

Life after sports.

CRUSH Magazine™ wants the entire person.

TO GREEK ORGANIZATIONS:

Your histories deserve respect.

Your service matters.

Your alumni networks matter.

Your campus presence matters.

Your traditions matter.

Where collaboration is appropriate and authorized, let’s discuss culture, service, entrepreneurship, alumni engagement and responsible programming.

Not everything needs to become a party partnership.

There are bigger stories available.

TO TOURISM ORGANIZATIONS AND CITIES:

YOUR COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE PART OF YOUR TOURISM ECONOMY.

So are alumni.

So are visiting families.

So are football fans.

So are event attendees.

Homecoming can introduce people to a city they may visit again for completely different reasons.

CRUSH Magazine™ wants to document the destination beyond the venue.

Where should people stay?

Eat?

Shop?

Visit?

What should they understand about the city’s history?

That’s destination media.

TO BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES:

WE WANT MORE OF THE MONEY TO CIRCULATE.

Homecoming generates spending.

The question is where it goes.

If thousands of culturally engaged consumers are entering a market, local Black-owned businesses should have an opportunity to reach them.

Restaurants.

Fashion.

Beauty.

Transportation.

Hospitality.

Media.

Production.

Technology.

Retail.

Professional services.

Let’s identify them before the weekend.

Not afterward.

TO MEDIA COMPANIES:

We don’t have to compete over every story.

There are opportunities to collaborate.

Interviews.

Photography.

Video.

Syndication.

Event coverage.

Campus reporting.

Music.

Sports.

Business.

Culture.

Regional stories become larger when distribution expands.

TO INVESTORS AND STRATEGIC PARTNERS:

Look beyond one night’s ticket sales.

The larger thesis includes:

Events.

Media.

Intellectual property.

College audiences.

Destination travel.

Sponsorship.

Music.

Merchandise.

Licensing.

Content.

Customer data acquired with proper consent.

And recurring cultural dates.

The value isn’t simply the crowd.

THE VALUE IS THE ECOSYSTEM AROUND THE CROWD.

AND TO THE STUDENTS:

None of this matters without you.

You determine what actually moves.

Not corporate presentations.

Not press releases.

Not people pretending to understand your generation.

You.

Your music.

Your clothes.

Your organizations.

Your businesses.

Your jokes.

Your creators.

Your athletes.

Your parties.

Your expectations.

Your attention.

We aren’t asking students to become props in somebody else’s marketing campaign.

We’re looking for ways students can participate in the value being created around their own culture.

That’s a much more important conversation.

THE FALL 2026 ROAD

OCTOBER 2

ATLANTA

OCTOBER 3

ATHENS

OCTOBER 9

AUC / ATLANTA

OCTOBER 10

ALBANY

OCTOBER 16–17

SAVANNAH

NOVEMBER 6–7

STATESBORO

And after winter:

SPRING 2027

MARCH 13–16

MIAMI

APRIL 16–19

SAVANNAH / TYBEE

MAY 21–25

ATLANTA

JUNE 19–21

JACKSONVILLE

That’s the road.

Now we’re looking for the people capable of helping build it.

UNIVERSITIES:

Let’s document your students.

STUDENT LEADERS:

Let’s tell your stories.

ENTREPRENEURS:

Let’s introduce your businesses.

PROMOTERS:

Let’s move tickets.

VENUES:

Let’s fill rooms responsibly.

CREATORS:

Let’s build the archive.

DJS:

Let’s move the culture.

ALUMNI:

Let’s connect generations.

LOCAL BUSINESSES:

Let’s circulate the money.

SPONSORS:

Let’s build something customers can actually use.

MEDIA:

Let’s tell the story correctly.

CITIES:

Let’s turn visitors into returning customers.

And everybody involved should understand one principle:

CULTURE IS VALUABLE.

The people creating it should participate in that value.

That’s the invitation.

Not:

“Come work for CRUSH.”

Something stronger:

LET’S FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN BUILD TOGETHER.

Because Fall 2026 isn’t simply a Homecoming calendar.

And Spring 2027 isn’t simply a beach calendar.

Together they can become infrastructure connecting:

Campus.

Culture.

Commerce.

Media.

Travel.

Ownership.

And if we’re going to build that infrastructure—

we want the people who actually understand those worlds at the table.

CRUSH MAGAZINE™

CRUSH UNIVERSITY™

FALL 2026 → SPRING 2027

GEORGIA, WE NEED TO BUILD TOGETHER.

Universities. Students. Alumni. Businesses. Brands. Cities. Creators.

The invitation is open.

The standard is high.

The work starts now.