The December 2026 Commencement ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 18, 2026, at 10 a.m. the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall, and will celebrate undergraduate, master's and doctoral candidates completing their coursework in Summer and December 2026, from all colleges.

For graduation details and deadlines, graduating students should refer to the Graduation Checklist.

All guests must have a ticket to attend the University of Tampa Commencement ceremony at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall. Tickets are distributed electronically to all registered graduates to give to invited guests at their discretion.

Graduates are guaranteed six guest tickets, with the ability to request up to an additional six tickets. Additional tickets are not guaranteed, and are based on availability. Please see the ticketing information page for more details.

University of Tampa Commencement ceremonies are hosted at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall. The Expo Hall is an indoor venue with stadium-style seating. 

To get to the Florida State Fairgrounds please use the address 4800 US-301, Tampa, FL 33610. This will take you to the gate on US-301. Graduates, families and guests MUST ONLY utilize the US-301 or MLK entrances.

The venue is about 15-20 minutes from campus without traffic. Please plan for congestion around the fairgrounds area, and at least a 45-minute drive with parking.

Parking is FREE, just let the attendant know that your are attending the commencement ceremony.

Guests are asked to park at Florida State Fairgrounds only for the ceremony they are attending. No tailgating or full-day parking will be permitted.

Accessible parking at the venue is first-come, first-served. If the accessible parking areas fill, passenger drop-off will be used and drivers will be directed to the nearest space. 

There could be a walk of 200 feet or more to the entrance. Guests who need assistance to reach the entrances and within the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall should bring a personal mobility device.

Please review the Permitted and Prohibited Items list before attending the event.

The Expo Hall is an indoor venue with stadium-style seating. Please note that there are no elevators or escalators on site, and getting to the seating area requires navigating stairs. Limited ADA accessible seating is available. Tickets for this section must be requested by the graduating student in their commencement registration form.

For all guests who require special accommodations for seating, only one companion from the remainder of your guest party may sit with them during the ceremony. The remainder of your guests will need to sit in the open stadium seating. Ushers will be available to escort guests to the designated ADA seating area.

Additionally, there is an ASL interpreter on stage being projected onto the large LCD screens at each ceremony. 

Please note: There could be a walk of 200 feet or more to the entrance. Guests who need assistance to reach the entrances and within the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall should bring a personal mobility device.

For families and friends who are unable to attend in person, the ceremonies will be available to livestream on personal devices on the Commencement site.

The professional photography company Grad Images takes photos of all graduating students at the ceremony. Students will then walk across the stage as a photographer takes their picture with the University President. Students will then continue off the platform to the right for two more posed photos and return to their seats.

Graduating students should register with GradImages before Dec. 14 for special discounts on ceremony photographs crossing the stage. This also helps expedite the process of receiving photos after the ceremony.

If you have any issues accessing your photos after Commencement please contact Grad Images's Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576, online at www.gradimages.com, or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net. 

The University Bookstore will sell limited graduation merchandise on-site, and UTampa Diplomats will offer flowers for purchase.