SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 23, 2015 -- San Francisco State University will hold its 114th Commencement exercises at AT&T Park, the University announced today. The ceremony, scheduled for May 22, will be the first college or university commencement to take place at the 15-year-old waterfront ballpark.

The new venue gives the University the potential to accommodate more graduates and guests than the on-campus Cox Stadium, a soccer and track-and-field facility built in the 1950s. More than 20,000 graduates, family, friends and others attend the ceremonies each year.

"Commencement Day is one of the most important milestones for our students, but in recent years it has become clear that the event has outgrown our current facility," said SF State President Les Wong. "It's important that we ensure family members and friends can be there to witness this special moment, and I'm thrilled that they will have the opportunity to do so in what has become one of San Francisco's most iconic landmarks."

The transition will eliminate the annual cost of readying Cox Stadium for a modern commencement ceremony, including preparing the track and grass field to host thousands of seated guests and installing temporary amenities such as video boards and an audio system, amenities built into AT&T Park. The larger venue also means the University can hold the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies together.

"Nothing can describe the excitement you feel watching our graduates and their families gathering for Commencement. So many emotions are in the air: pride, joy, relief and anticipation. Our students have worked so hard -- and many have sacrificed much and overcome great odds -- in order to get to this day," said Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management Luoluo Hong. "Hosting one large ceremony emphasizes the significance of our students' achievements and honors the fact that it took an entire 'family' to get there: parents, friends, siblings, children, mentors, faculty and staff among them."

For more information about Commencement at SF State, visit http://commencement.sfsu.edu

###

SF State is the only master's-level public university serving the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. The University enrolls nearly 30,000 students each year and offers nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema, biology and history to broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies. The University's more than 228,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.