ASU & GCU graduation 2026: dates, parking and rides

A graduation ride from Scottsdale Sprinters starts with the ceremony your graduate is walking in: ASU’s commencement in Tempe or GCU’s in Phoenix. This guide uses only what the two universities have published, and says plainly what they have not.

Last updated: September 24, 2026

When is ASU graduation in December 2026?

ASU’s fall 2026 University Commencement is Monday, December 14, 2026, on the Tempe campus: Graduate Commencement at 9:00 a.m. in Desert Financial Arena, and Undergraduate Commencement at 2:00 p.m. at Mountain America Stadium, on Frank Kush Field. Neither ceremony needs tickets. For the undergraduate ceremony, graduates should arrive no later than 1:30 p.m. to sit with their college, and seating is released to the general public at 1:45 p.m. ASU lists the ceremony as ending at 3:30 p.m., and the graduate ceremony at 11:00 a.m. The same week holds the other ceremonies: celebrations on December 11 and 12, Barrett, The Honors College Convocation at 11:00 a.m. on December 14 at ASU Gammage, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Convocation at 7:30 p.m. on December 14 at the stadium, and college convocations on December 15, 16 and 17, most of them in Desert Financial Arena or ASU Gammage. The ASU Online Celebration is December 16 at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Pavilion. ASU says times and locations are subject to change; the schedule was last updated on August 26, 2026. Recheck it the week before, and plan the ride around the ceremony your graduate is actually walking in. Spring 2027 University Commencement is May 10, 2027, by ASU’s future-dates calendar, which also says dates can change. This page is updated for May when ASU posts that schedule.

Where do you park for ASU graduation, and where can you be dropped off?

ASU’s commencement parking is complimentary and first come, first served: Lot 58, Lot 59 and the Packard Drive Structure for Mountain America Stadium, and Lot 59 and the Packard Drive South Garage for Desert Financial Arena. The overflow for both is the Novus Parking Structure, which takes payment on the way out. ASU warns that large attendance creates traffic around both venues and that exits from the lots and structures will be delayed, and it strongly encourages public transportation. ASU Gammage and the Student Pavilion use Lot 3. Mountain America Stadium is at 500 E Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85287, and Desert Financial Arena at 600 E Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85281. Accessible parking is available at each venue with a placard or plate, and ASU publishes an ADA courtesy shuttle map for the arena and the stadium. ASU publishes no drop-off lane for limousines, charters or rideshare at commencement; its maps mark only the ADA courtesy shuttle stop. So your chauffeur drives the approach and unloads where campus event staff and police direct, and you agree the pickup point before the ceremony, not after it. When ASU publishes more for December, that replaces this paragraph. The parking maps on ASU’s page were last updated in December 2025 for the stadium and April 2026 for the arena. Recheck them the week of the ceremony.

When is GCU graduation in December 2026?

GCU’s Winter 2026 traditional commencement is Thursday, December 17 and Friday, December 18, 2026, with ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day in Global Credit Union Arena, Phoenix. Each ceremony runs about an hour to an hour and a half. December 17 at 10 a.m.: the College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Natural Sciences. December 17 at 4 p.m.: the College of Arts and Media, the College of Education, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. December 18 at 10 a.m.: the Colangelo College of Business and the College of Theology. December 18 at 4 p.m.: the College of Engineering and Technology, the College of Natural Sciences, and the College of Nursing and Healthcare Professions. Doors open two hours before each ceremony, and GCU asks ticketed guests to be seated at least 30 minutes before the start. Guests need general admission tickets: each registered graduate can reserve up to six, children three and under sit on a lap, and an overflow area shows the live stream. GCU says its spring 2027 traditional commencement will be announced shortly after the winter ceremonies.

Where do you park or get dropped off for GCU graduation?

GCU parks commencement guests in the 33rd Avenue garage beside Global Credit Union Arena, 3300 W. Camelback Road, with more parking in the 31st Avenue garage at 3050 W. Camelback Road. Its rideshare drop-off and pickup address is 3300 W. Camelback Road. Phoenix police officers direct traffic during the ceremonies and may send drivers to another lot. Classes are in session that week, so GCU expects traffic to and on campus to be exceptionally busy, and asks guests to allow 30 to 45 minutes more for parking and the walk into the arena. From the north on I-17, exit at Camelback Road and head to 33rd Avenue. From the south, exit at Bethany Home Road, take 35th Avenue south, then Camelback Road east to the garage. GCU estimates 30 to 45 minutes from Scottsdale and 45 minutes to an hour from Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler, before parking. GCU names no separate lane for limousines or charters, so your chauffeur follows the officers on the day and meets the family at the pickup point you agreed.

What can you bring into the ceremony?

Both universities enforce a clear bag policy. At GCU the limit is 12 by 12 by 6 inches, with metal detectors and bag checks, and there is no storage. At ASU the policy covers Mountain America Stadium and every ASU venue, and umbrellas are not allowed in the stadium. GCU does not allow balloons, flags or banners, wrapped packages or gifts, noisemakers, alcohol, glass, strollers, wagons or car seats. Flowers are sold at a booth near the arena. ASU does not allow banners, flags or signs inside any venue, and allows clear, factory-sealed water bottles up to 1.5 liters at the stadium. Book the vehicle by the hour and the flowers, balloons and gifts can stay on board during the ceremony, ready for the photos after.

What happens if it rains on ASU commencement day?

ASU’s undergraduate commencement is outdoors and takes place rain or shine. If weather forces a delay, ASU may hold the start for up to an hour; if the ceremony cannot be held in the stadium, it is canceled, because no indoor space on campus holds the graduates and 30,000 or more guests. ASU advises guests to bring ponchos or rain gear, since umbrellas are not allowed, and to prearrange a meeting place outside the stadium in case the ceremony is canceled. Make that meeting place your pickup point. The chauffeur knows where it is before the ceremony starts, and nobody has to find the family in a crowd leaving at once.

How long is graduation day, and how many hours should you book?

Plan the ceremony, the photos and a meal. ASU lists its undergraduate ceremony as starting at 2:00 p.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m., and GCU’s ceremonies last about an hour to an hour and a half, with doors open two hours before. A ceremony and a family dinner fit a four-hour block; an airport pickup or a party after needs more. Book by the hour and the vehicle and chauffeur stay with you for the whole block: the pickup, the wait during the ceremony, the photos, dinner and the ride home. Or book a ride there and a ride back. Every vehicle has a minimum number of hours, shown with its price on this page. Longer bookings earn free hours on the same published ladder as every other ride. Reach the reservations team at (623) 986-6339 or reservations@scottsdalesprinters.com with the ceremony, the pickup area, the number of riders and the plan after.

Which vehicle fits which graduation group?

Graduates and their families ride the Executive Black Sprinter or the Executive White Sprinter, or the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax) or the Mini Bus (24 Pax) for a big family. The grad party crew takes a Limo Party Sprinter or the Party Bus (28 Pax). A VIP family celebration takes the Maybach Jet Sprinter, the Ultra Luxury Party Sprinter, the Maybach Shuttle Sprinter or the Luxury SUV (Suburban). Our pick for graduation day is the Executive Black Sprinter: black-on-black leather shuttle seats that each recline, room for the whole family, and space for forty bags, so the flowers, gifts and gowns ride along. It delivers on every metric without the limo styling, which is what a day in caps and gowns calls for. Seat counts are seated capacities from the fleet: the Executive Black Sprinter and the Executive White Sprinter seat 14 each, the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax) 29, the Mini Bus (24 Pax) 24, the Limo Party Sprinter (12-13 Pax) 13, the Limo Party Sprinter (16 Pax) 16, the Party Bus (28 Pax) 28, the Maybach Jet Sprinter 9, the Ultra Luxury Party Sprinter 15, the Maybach Shuttle Sprinter 8 and the Luxury SUV (Suburban) 6. When a family outgrows its row, the page never offers it a party vehicle; for a group bigger than the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax), we plan two vehicles and quote them together. If anyone riding is under 21, no alcohol comes on board for the whole trip.