Alumnus and Entrepreneur Helps Revive Longtime Homecoming Tradition

When Dusk 2 Dawn returns to The Hill for Homecoming 2026, alumnus Von Mathews will experience the longtime Alabama A&M University tradition from a much different perspective.

This time, he is helping produce it.

Mathews, a 2007 AAMU graduate and founder of RCV Entertainment, is among the alumni helping bring Dusk 2 Dawn back after the popular all-night event ended in 2009. His company will provide entertainment for the event and work with talent and the production team to help shape the overall experience.

Dusk 2 Dawn will return Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10 p.m. at the AAMU Event Center, with entertainment by the Renaissance Orchestra.

For Mathews, the assignment brings together his memories as an AAMU student, his professional experience and an opportunity to give back to his alma mater.

“Being able to transition from having experienced Alabama A&M as a student, then building my career as a business owner and now providing a professional contribution toward a major University Homecoming event is very fulfilling,” Mathews said.

Mathews remembers Dusk 2 Dawn as more than another event on the Homecoming calendar. He recalls the anticipation surrounding it and the role it played in bringing Bulldogs together.

“Homecoming itself always possessed a unique atmosphere at A&M; however, events such as Dusk 2 Dawn created another layer of excitement to that experience,” he said. “At the core of Dusk 2 Dawn was coming together and enjoying the music while celebrating your time as a Bulldog.”

Now, 17 years after Dusk 2 Dawn ended, Mathews is helping create that experience for alumni who remember the tradition and a generation of students who have never experienced it.

“We’re not attempting to recreate 2009 exactly,” Mathews said. “We have the opportunity to respect what Dusk 2 Dawn was while establishing a new chapter in what it could be.”

Mathews earned a degree in computer science from AAMU and has built a professional career spanning technology and entertainment. He has more than 15 years of experience in information technology, systems engineering and cybersecurity, including work in Department of Defense environments.

In 2022, he launched RCV Entertainment, expanding his passion for entertainment into event production, talent coordination and live experiences. Since then, the company has produced and supported concerts, rooftop and nightlife events and The Southern Cup, a Derby-inspired event.

RCV Entertainment has produced events featuring artists and performers including T.I. and P$C, Vedo, Akeem Ali, Avery Wilson, Q Parker of 112 and The Renaissance Orchestra. Mathews is also developing an R&B festival planned for April 2027.

He said his experience in entertainment has prepared him to contribute to an event of Dusk 2 Dawn’s magnitude, but the job is about more than securing entertainment.

“I believe we want to assist in creating moments that participants will associate with AAMU Homecoming,” Mathews said.

Attendees can expect a high-energy experience built around music, production and talent, with elements designed to resonate with alumni who remember Dusk 2 Dawn while connecting with today’s students.

“Reviving it creates a conduit between those two generations,” Mathews said. “Some students on campus today have no prior knowledge or experience of Dusk 2 Dawn, while other alumni will instantly know what it represented to Homecoming.”

For Mathews, returning to The Hill as a professional contributor also represents the relationship alumni can maintain with Alabama A&M long after graduation.

“Alabama A&M is greater than the years you attend school there,” he said. “The bonds you form with your peers, the experiences you encounter while at school and the sense of community will continue beyond your time at The Hill.”

He hopes the revival also demonstrates the impact alumni can have when they bring their professional experience and resources back to the University.

“I truly hope that people will appreciate the value of alumni returning to Alabama A&M and offering their skills, talents, businesses, resources and experiences toward creating opportunities and events for those coming after them,” Mathews said.

For Mathews, Dusk 2 Dawn’s return ultimately comes down to honoring the past while creating something for the next generation of Bulldogs.

“Dusk 2 Dawn is about tradition, legacy and creating new memories on The Hill.”

For Dusk 2 Dawn tickets and a complete list of Homecoming 2026 events, visit AAMU Homecoming 2026.