UNT hosts North Central Texas College and dozens of local high schools in May and June every year as these institutions celebrate their graduating students. Below is a schedule of graduations held at UNT, information for graduates and guests and parking and travel information.
Graduation is one of the biggest and most important events in the lives of high school graduates. It is the event they have been working toward for many years, and UNT wants to make the experience as special and pleasant for the graduates and guests as possible.
UNT’s growth requires large construction projects that can’t always be completed at a time when they will not conflict with major UNT events. Due to construction at Fouts Field, the traditional parking lot for graduation, spaces will be very limited.
| May | ||
| Friday, May 17 | 2 p.m. 6 p.m. |
North Central Texas College Pinning Ceremony North Central Texas College Commencement |
| Saturday, May 18 | 10 a.m. | Bridgeport |
| Monday, May 20 | 7 p.m. | Ponder |
| Tuesday, May 21 | 5 p.m. | Argyle |
| Tuesday, May 21 | 8 p.m. | Aubrey |
| Wednesday, May 22 | 5 p.m. | Lake Dallas |
| 8 p.m. | Sanger | |
| Thursday, May 23 | 10 a.m. | Little Elm |
| 3:30 p.m. | Ryan | |
| 7 p.m. | Braswell | |
| Friday, May 24 | 11 a.m. | Guyer |
| 3 p.m. | Denton | |
| 7 p.m. | Decatur | |
| Saturday, May 25 | 10 a.m. | The Colony |
| 2 p.m. | Hebron | |
| 6 p.m. | Flower Mound | |
| Sunday, May 26 | noon | Marcus |
| 4:30 p.m. | Lewisville | |
| Tuesday, May 28 | 3 p.m. | Coppell |
| Tuesday, May 28 | 7 p.m. | Gainesville |
| June | ||
| Sunday, June 2 | 9 a.m. | Newman Smith |
| 1 p.m. | Turner | |
| 4 p.m. | Creekview | |
| 7 p.m. | Ranchview | |
| Monday, June 3 | 10 a.m. | Eaton |
| 2 p.m. | Northwest | |
| 6 p.m. | Byron Nelson | |
Parking and travel instructions and tips
- Guests carpooling as much as possible is strongly encouraged.
- Allow for extra time to park and walk some distance from your car to your ceremony.
- Don't rely on your GPS to direct you to graduation parking at UNT this spring. Instead, plan to take the North Texas Boulevard Exit to access campus from I-35.
- Follow signage and the instructions of the officers you encounter when you arrive on campus.
- Parking on campus will not require a permit during the high school/NCTC graduations but handicapped parking and no parking in fire lanes will be enforced.
- Graduates and guests will park in Lot 20 around Fouts Field until it is full and then will be directed to either Lots 23, 25, 26 and 29 or remote Lots 36, 38, 39 and 40 and you will be shuttled from those remote lots to the Coliseum.
Special Needs Parking and Shuttles
Graduates and guests with special needs will park in Lot 27 if they are participating in the following ceremonies:
- Bridgeport High School
- Ponder High School
- Argyle High School
- Aubrey High School
- Lake Dallas High School
- Sanger High School
- Little Elm High School
Graduates and guests with special needs participating in all other ceremonies will park in Lot 27 until it is full and then park in the Highland Street Garage. Follow the "Special Needs" signs to be directed to the first available special needs parking spaces. Shuttles for special needs guests will be provided for those directed to park at the Highland Street Garage to take them to the Coliseum.
Graduation information
Ticketing
Based on expected class size, tickets may be required for entrance. The Coliseum will work closely with each high school to determine if tickets are necessary.
Entering the Coliseum
Graduates --The West Tunnel will open 1 hour prior to ceremony start time.
Guests --Doors will open 1 hour prior to ceremony start time. Only Gates A, B, D & G will be available for entrance.
Exiting the Coliseum
Graduates will participate in a recessional and exit the Coliseum through the South Tunnel.
Guests will be asked to meet their graduate outside of the Coliseum at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Concessions and flower sales
- Outside food and drinks are prohibited.
- Limited concessions will be available for all ceremonies.
- Flowers will be available for purchase at all ceremonies.
UNT Coliseum policies
- Guests are no longer allowed to save seats.
- There are no reserved seats, except for the graduates and special commencement guests invited by the school districts.
- All individual bags will be checked as people enter the Coliseum. Commencement seating for families is on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Accessible seating is available along the top rows of the lower seating area. These areas are designated as such.
- To allow viewing of all guests, please refrain from leaving your seat to take pictures or video.
- As soon as a ceremony has concluded, event staff will begin sweeping the Coliseum to escort remaining guests outside before the next ceremony begins.
- These items are not allowed inside the Coliseum:
- Balloons
- Beach balls
- Silly string
- Bubbles
- Glitter
- Frisbees
- Confetti and confetti cannons
- Laser pointers
- Weapons of any kind
- Signs or banners
- Tripods, monopods and selfie sticks
- Artificial noise makers, such as air horns, whistles and bullhorns
- Any tobacco products or devices for smoking or vaping inside or outside the Coliseum. UNT is a smoke-free campus.
- Non-service animals
- Strollers inside the seating area; strollers can be used to bring young children into the Coliseum.