Today is your day
ý Commencement
San Antonio, TX | Summer 2026
Congrats! It’s time to celebrate your achievement surrounded by people who are so proud ofeverything you’ve accomplished. Welcome to a community of over 1 million alumni.
Stream live or watch the recording
Choose the ceremony based on your registration time:
- – 10:30 am CT
- – 3:30 pm CT
Live streams will be available for viewing up to 30 days after ceremony.
Before commencement
Commencement checklist
by July 10, 2026 (regular shipping).
Make travel plans as needed.
In July, be on the lookout for an email with instructions on how to reserve graduate and guest tickets.
Bring Graduate Name Card (used to announce and display your name when crossing the stage). You'll receive your name card by mail a few weeks prior to the ceremony.
Get ready to celebrate!
Day of commencement
Getting to the ceremony
Transportation
Check the for any road closures the weekend of commencement.
For directions, enter this address into your preferred mapping app on your smartphone: 3201 E Houston Ave, San Antonio, TX 78219
Airports
The closest airport is .
Parking
- Graduates and guests can park in Lots 1, 2, 3, or 9.
- Lot 9 is located closest to the designated graduate entrance at the Freeman Coliseum.
- Lots 1 and 2 are located closest to the designated guest entrance.
- The parking rate is $15 per car.
Accessible Handicapped Parking is available in all open lots.
Accessible parking is available in all open lots for vehicles with a disabled plate or permit. Spaces are first-come, first-served and fill quickly, so early arrival is recommended.
The nearest bus stop is located on E. Houston St directly south of the Freeman Coliseum.
Clear bag policy
Safety at the ceremony is our top priority. There is a clear bag policy at this venue. All bags are subject to search.There will be a limited amount of lockers available for a fee on the day of the ceremony.
Prohibited items
For safety and enjoyment, the following items are prohibited in the coliseum:
- Animals (except for service animals)
- Alcohol
- Aerosol cans
- Backpacks
- Bags and wallets exceeding the size of a small clutch bag (5.5″ x 8.5″)
- Banners and signs containing commercial, political or obscene material or that block guest views
- Beach Balls, balloons or other inflatables
- Bicycles (may be parked at approved bike parking racks)
- Blow horns or Noisemakers
- "Bubble-making" liquids, machines, etc. for blowing bubbles
- Camera Tri, Dual or Single Leg Pods by Non-Media Personnel
- Drones and other remote-controlled vehicles
- Drugs or other illegal substances (including medical marijuana)
- Glass items
- Firearms, knives or weapons of any kind
- Fireworks or other incendiary devices
- Fishing Nets
- Flags with poles
- Frisbees
- Laser Pens
- Luggage of any kind, computer bags, camera bags, briefcases, fanny packs, cinch bags or any bag larger than the permissible size (5.5″ x 8.5″)
- Obscene, offensive, indecent or inappropriate clothing/attire
- Skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, razors or shoes with wheels
- Umbrellas
Entrance
Graduates will enter through the back entrance of the Coliseum, located on the north side of the building.
Guests will enter through the front lobby (main entrance) of the Coliseum, located on the south side of the building.
This is a CLEAR BAG venue. Everyone will go through metal detectors before entering the buildings.
Important note: Guests, including minors, are not allowed into the pre-ceremony graduate area or in the graduate seating and stage areas. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, and this cannot be a graduate.
Ticket information
Each Graduate will be allotted up to 7 tickets, 1 for the graduate and up to 6 for their guests.
An email will be sent closer to the ceremony date with instructions on how to reserve them officially for you and your guests.
Note: when selecting the number of guests during the registration steps, this is not how you will get the actual tickets; that is done through a separate process.
ADA accommodations
If any of your guests will require ADA accommodations at the commencement ceremony, there will be staff at thevenue who can assist with seating accommodations.
Handicapped Parking is available in all open lots.
A wheelchair lift can be located on the East side of the Freeman Coliseum and is located outside of section 27.
The ceremony will use closed captions for all spoken parts of the ceremony.
Strollers
Strollers are not permitted inside the venue but may be checked at Guest Services in the main lobby. Please be advised that ý is not responsible for any damage or loss to personal property.
Exiting procedure
We ask all graduates to stay until the end of the ceremony out of respect to the remaining graduates. You’re officially done at the conclusion of the ceremony and can celebrate by moving your tassel over as recognition of being a graduate. Guests will be released in an orderly fashion to ensure a safe exit for everyone.
Graduate information
Preparing for the ceremony
There is no storage at the commencement venue for personal belongings. Please make arrangements for a guest to hold any personal items or carry them with you at all times. Please be advised that ý is not responsible for any damage or loss to personal property.
Bring your cap and gown. Additionally, bachelor’s degree students must bring their stoles and master’s degree and doctoral students must bring their hoods. Use a cool iron, if necessary, to ensure a wrinkle-free appearance.
Thedeadline to order standard regalia isJuly 10, 2026(by midnight)without additional shipping charges. The final deadline will be July 17, 2026, with expedited shipping charges. Thedeadline for custom Doctoral regalia is July 12, 2026.The final deadline will be July 17, 2026, with expedited shipping charges.
You can order regalia through the .
If you have any questions concerning regalia or other items, please contact customer support by calling 800-293-0665 or email phoenix@taylorcorp.com.A limited amount of regalia will be available on the day of the ceremony for purchase (credit card only).
Military graduates:
- Remember to bring your cord to the ceremony.
- The military cord is available to order at no charge on the regalia website. If this was not ordered, they will be available on the day of the ceremony.
- Military Dress Uniforms may be worn in place of regalia. Uniforms and regalia should not be worn together.
Regalia protocols and attire:
- Pro tip: Steam your gown, stole, hood and hang it up prior to commencement to avoid wrinkles
- Business casual attire should be worn under the gown.
- Cultural robes, beauty pageant stoles, etc. are inappropriate for commencement ceremonies and should not be worn, unless they are worn completely underneath the official regalia robes.
- Cultural and tribal stoles are approved to be worn on the top of the approved official UOPX regalia at commencement ceremonies. Cultural robes, if worn, must be worn underneath the official regalia robe.
- You are allowed to wear honors regalia awarded by an approved Honor Society with your standard regalia attire. UOPX honor cords can be worn with your external honor society cord/stole (layered on top of each other, preference is UOPX honor cord on top).
We ask that if you decorate your caps to do so tastefully. Stoles, hoods and gowns should not be altered or decorated.We ask that they respect your fellow graduates by wearingyour regalia (cap/gown) in a manner that prohibits the use of any offensive or obscene pictures, words, or reference. If graduates violate any of these prohibited items, they may be asked to remove or alter these items.
Upon arrival, graduates will be directed to Grad Central.University staff will be available to assist with any questions regarding ceremony logistics.
We will have the following tables available:
- NRP to purchase regalia.Credit card accepted, no cash.
- Grad supplieswith bobby pins and safety pins
- Military and honors cordsfor eligible graduates
- Graduate Card Assistance - Name cards will be mailed to each graduate a few weeks before the ceremony. Be sure to bring it to the ceremony. This name card is what is used to announce and display your name as you cross the stage. If your name card does not arrive by the ceremony date, we will have back up name cards available on the day of the ceremony.
Sample graduate card
- No rehearsal, staff will be available to guide the graduates.
- Grads will be directed toGrad Centralto get remainingitems and line-up for processional.
- Graduates will be lined up by degree level, not alphabetically (associates, bachelor's, master's, doctoral)
- Recommend comfortable and stable shoes.
- You will be called to the stage by degree level, not alphabetical, with dual lines as you go across the stage. Your name and degree will be displayed and your name announced as you cross the stage. Photos will be taken as you go to the stage as well as when you cross the stage and are handed a UOPX-branded envelope containing a congratulatory letter.
- Doctoral graduates will be hooded on stage.
- We ask that everyone to remain until the end of the ceremony for the celebratory tassel change and acknowledgment of being graduated. For recessional, graduates will be dismissed by row in an orderly fashion and directed to exit the building to reunite with family and friends to celebrate.
- We expect that the ceremony will last approximately two hours.
The University identifies graduates registered for commencement who are eligible for the honor cord. If you are eligible to receive an honor cord, one will be provided to you at no cost on the day of commencement.This cord is not part of the President or Dean lists.
Current ý Honors Policy:
Graduates eligible to participate in a ceremony and meet the honors criteria can receive a cord.The cord provided will be based on the current GPA.
- Associate and bachelor's degree students with a program completion date of 01/01/2022 or later:
- "Cum Laude" - Bronze Cord
Program GPA of 3.70-3.84 - "Magna Cum Laude" - Silver Cord
Program GPA of 3.85-3.94 - "Summa Cum Laude" - Gold Cord
Program GPA of 3.95-4.0
- "Cum Laude" - Bronze Cord
- Master's degree students with program completion date of 01/01/2022 or later:
- "With Distinction" - Red & Platinum Cord
Program GPA of 3.90 or higher
- "With Distinction" - Red & Platinum Cord
Prior ý Honors Policy:
Bachelor's degree students with program completion date of 12/31/2021 or before:
- "With Honors" - Platinum Cord
Program GPA of 3.85 or higher
The University has coordinated with GradImages Photography to photograph graduates at the ceremony. There will be two photo opportunities during the ceremony: one when going up to the stage and another when crossing the stage.You will receive a free passport-sized digital photo proof on an order card within 5-7 days following the ceremony.
GradImages Photography
service@gradimages.com
800-261-2576
The digital program version will be viewable 3 days prior to the ceremony date and up to 30 days following the conclusion of the ceremony.
Visit the. Select “San Antonio” from the “What is your Ceremony Location?” drop-down menu.
Share your journey!
We would love for you to share any ceremony photos and stories about your educational journey on.