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 that attend Commencement, and no alternative venues exist for the ceremony.

Should inclement weather delay activities, the Memorial Union will be open. Weather-related announcements will appear on KU's official Twitter account 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. 

View printable map

Find parking and transit

From 1 p.m. Friday to noon on Monday, parking in many lots and all garages is free. As well, any guest with a state-issued hangtag or license plate can use one of KU’s 450 disability parking stalls. To accommodate limited-mobility guests without such permits, accessible drop-off areas and parking are available on the east and west sides of Memorial Stadium via Fambrough Drive. Note: Tailgating is not allowed in any KU parking facility the weekend of Commencement.

A complimentary shuttle service begins at 8:30 a.m. Sunday and ends one hour after the Commencement ceremony. For wheelchair accessibility, request a paratransit vehicle from any bus driver.

Note: Vehicles are not permitted on Memorial Drive from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. the Sunday of Commencement.

Locate on-campus hospitality/ medical services

Visitors with need of amenities may access the Kansas Union, which houses a convenience store, coffee shop, cafeteria, and bookstore, as well as accessible restrooms. At Memorial Stadium, limited concessions will be available for purchase, and accessible restrooms can be found on the concourse level.

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 gates will open to guests one hour before the scheduled start of the ceremony. Tickets are not required and seating is open.

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.

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 the video screen at the stadium's southern end.

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
• 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 Memorial Union and on the Commencement website. The stadium portion of the event will last approximately 45 minutes. The entire ceremony should conclude by 12:45 p.m.