Of the seven fall sports teams, only three will be competing on home turf for Family Weekend. The men’s and women’s soccer teams both have games on Friday and Sunday afternoon, while the football team hosts Southeast Missouri for its first Ohio Valley Conference game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at O’Brien Stadium.

Traditionally, families have flocked to O’Brien Stadium for the weekend.

“Family Weekend has become the No. 1 sporting event each year,” said Dave Kidwell, director for Sports Information and Marketing. “We’ve certainly benefitted by this weekend more than any other weekend.”

Kidwell said out of the top 10 attendance numbers, Family Weekend holds nine of them.

Eastern’s season opener on Sept. 11 against Indiana State brought more than 9,300 people, but Kidwell hopes to get around 10,000 for this weekend.

Steve Ballard, women’s soccer coach, expects many of his players to have some family members attending the team’s 3 p.m. match Friday and 1 p.m. match Sunday.

“I think the majority of them will have someone coming in,” Ballard said. “I think our team gets a great parent following either way.”

The volleyball team is on the road for a pair of OVC matches, women’s rugby is traveling to Clemson and on Saturday both cross country teams are heading to Chicago for the Loyola Invitational.

Brenda Winkeler, head volleyball coach, said most of her players are used to being on the road or away from their home gym during Family Weekend. Creedence Clearwater Revisited will be borrowing the Panthers’ home court this year.

“There is a concert on our gym so that takes priority,” Winkeler said.

She said with many of her players coming from the Chicago area, many of the parents have had a chance to see them while playing at places like DePaul University for the Blue Demon Invitational.

“Some of them have a family weekend every weekend,” Winkeler said.

The women’s rugby team has been home for the past couple weekends so head coach Frank Graziano said the team was due for its 600-mile, 11 hour bus trip this weekend.

“We are looking forward to the trip,” Graziano said. “It’s just time to get back on the road.”