Attend

Watch the weather

Spring weather in Kansas is unpredictable. Attendees should plan accordingly with sunblock, jackets, hats, or rain gear, as the Commencement ceremony will proceed in hot, cold, or wet conditions.

If severe weather is in the forecast, university administrators may postpone the ceremony. In the case of postponement, Commencement coordinators and KU leadership will make every effort to reschedule the ceremony for later in the day.

If severe weather continues, events may be cancelled. Please note that no indoor facility in Lawrence can accommodate the number of graduates and guests who attend Commencement, and no alternative venues exist for the ceremony.

Should inclement weather delay activities, the Kansas Memorial Union will be open. Weather-related announcements will appear on KU's official social media accounts and this website.

Leave prohibited items at home

For your safety, these items are not permitted inside the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium:

• All alcoholic and cereal malt beverages, which are strictly prohibited on the KU campus.
• Explosives of any kind, including fireworks, which are strictly prohibited on the KU campus.
• Animals, with exceptions made for service animals.
• Glass bottles, metal cans, and coolers, with exceptions made for guests with special medical or dietary needs.
• Horns, whistles, boom boxes, or other noisemakers that create a nuisance or disturbance. 
• Laser pointers.
• Objects that obstruct another person's view of the ceremony (use of umbrellas is not restricted, but be considerate of those around and behind you).
• Strollers and bikes.
• Sticks or poles, including those used to mount signs or banners

Personal items carried into the stadium should be limited to what can be carried in a one-gallon clear freezer bag, a small clutch purse (5.5 inches x 8.5 inches), or a clear bag no larger than 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches. Camera and computer bags, backpacks, and purses or other bags larger than clutch bags are prohibited.

Make the trip

Using the navigation tool of your choice, input Memorial Stadium’s address — 1101 Mississippi St., Lawrence, KS 66045 — for custom directions.

Find parking and transit

From 1 p.m. on Friday to noon on Monday, parking many lots and all garages is free. Any guest with a state-issued disability placard or license plate can use one of KU’s accessible parking stalls, which are available across campus. To accommodate limited-mobility guests without such permits, accessible drop-off areas will be available on the east side of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium (1101 Mississippi St.) on Commencement day.

Note: Tailgating is not allowed in any KU parking facility the weekend of Commencement.

A complimentary shuttle service covering campus lots and downtown Lawrence begins at 8 a.m. Sunday and ends at 2 p.m. Buses labeled “Commencement” will pick up guests at designated bus stops (including 900 New Hampshire St., the intersection of 6th Street and New Hampshire Street, and the intersection of 8th Street and Vermont Street) and take them to Memorial Stadium for the ceremony. For wheelchair accessibility, request a paratransit vehicle from any bus driver. See the maps posted above for more information about shuttle routes, bus stops, construction, and parking.

Note: Vehicles are not permitted on Memorial Drive from 10 p.m. Saturday to 11 p.m. Sunday.

Locate on-campus hospitality/medical services

Visitors with need of amenities may access the Kansas Memorial Union, which houses a convenience store, coffee shop, cafeteria, and bookstore, as well as accessible restrooms. There will be limited concessions available at Memorial Stadium. A limited number of accessible restrooms will be available in the east concourse of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and accessible port-a-potties will also be available nearby to accommodate guests who watch the ceremony from the stadium. Guests who prefer not to enter the stadium can watch a live feed of the event from the Kansas Memorial Union or the Jayhawk Welcome Center.

Medical Personnel/EMTs are on duty in Memorial Stadium during Commencement. Walk-in office is located in the East Concourse. 

Enter the stadium

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium’s east gate will open to guests at 9 a.m. All guests must enter through the east gate due to ongoing stadium construction. Tickets are not required and seating is open. There will be a limited number of seats available because of construction. We ask participants to limit attendance to six guests per graduate to keep the event comfortable for everyone.

To avoid stairs between Jayhawk Boulevard and the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, use the posted entrance for Snow Hall and take the elevator from Level 3 to Level 1 to reach the Memorial Campanile. The Hawk Route can provide additional campus paths for those with limited mobility. 

Accessible seating will be available in sections 22, 24, and 26 of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, as well as on the field. Only one elevator will be operational due to construction. Alternate viewing locations (at the Kansas Memorial Union and the Jayhawk Welcome Center) will be available for guests who prefer not to enter the stadium. There will also be a live stream of the event that friends, family, and loved ones can watch from their personal devices.

Watch the procession and ceremony

Upon parking or shuttling to campus, guests may watch the procession from the Hill or they may go directly to Memorial Stadium, where the procession and ceremony will be broadcast on a video screen.

The procession down the Hill splits into two parallel paths and is grouped by school. Use the following breakdown to know which path your graduate will be walking:

East Memorial Drive:

• Law
• Medicine
• Engineering
• Business
• Journalism & Mass Communications
• Health Professions
• Nursing
• Music
• Professional Studies

West Memorial Drive:

• Pharmacy
• Education & Human Sciences
• Architecture & Design
• Social Welfare
• College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Guests should be mindful to not cross or obstruct the path of our graduates as they process. 

A sign language interpreter will be present on the platform during the Commencement ceremony and visible on the stadium’s video screen. The ceremony will also be broadcast live with captions at the Kansas Memorial Union, the Jayhawk Welcome Center, and on the Commencement website. The entire ceremony should conclude by 12:30 p.m.