What began as a football game and formal dance grew into one of ODU's most cherished traditions - a weeklong celebration of Monarch pride and community. From 1938 to 1940, Homecoming consisted solely of these two events. By 1955, the introduction of the Homecoming Queen contest added a new element of school spirit and community involvement. The festivities continued to expand in 1956 with the addition of a bonfire and the "Hot Dog Trot," a lively sock hop (an informal dance). These early additions helped transform Homecoming into the vibrant, weeklong celebration enjoyed by attendees today.

In 1968, ODU celebrated its first Homecoming weekend. The weekend started off with Friday’s afternoon classes being canceled. A bonfire and formal dance kicked off the weekend, followed by the Homecoming basketball game. The tradition continued to grow with the addition of the Homecoming parade in 1969 and the inclusion of a Homecoming King on the Homecoming Court in 1970.

For a period of time, Homecoming also provided an opportunity for students to support the local community. For example, in 1990, admission to the Homecoming dance was $3 or three cans of food, and votes for Homecoming King and Queen were tallied by number of food donations. This unique tradition combined school spirit with community service, allowing students to celebrate while giving back. Although can donations are no longer accepted for admission, there is still an annual Monarchs Give Back food drive.

Since 2010, ODU commemorates the start of Homecoming week by dying the Monarch Fountain blue. Another big tradition is the annual concert. Big artists like Twenty One Pilots, Waka Flaka Flame, Jeremih, 3Oh!3, and Ke$ha have taken the stage to celebrate Homecoming with ODU.

Since 1969, the Homecoming parade has been a beloved tradition for students, University organizations, and community members. Everyone works hard to create amazing floats for the parade.

One of the most notable Homecoming parades was in 1970, when ODU lost approximately $4.4 million in funding. The theme was originally “A Time for Love” but changed to “Save ODU.” The Homecoming committee rallied together to make signs and floats that would attract local television and newspaper coverage. Students also created “Save ODU” t-shirts to wear in protest. The ODU Wiki page summarizes this important event as "The Save ODU campaign was an inititive led by students, faculty and staff at Old Dominion University (ODU), as well as the Hampton Roads community, to save ODU from a funding shortfall soon after obtaining university status."