Cal State Long Beach graduates will celebrate commencement on campus in 2026 — marking the ceremonies’ first return to the school in five years.
This year’s commencement festivities will take place at George Allen Field from May 17 to 21, according to announcement from the university. Since 2021, graduates have celebrated their achievements at Angel Stadium.
The change in venue to Angel Stadium was originally made in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The outdoor stadium’s large capacity, officials said previously, was a key factor in CSULB’s decision to host its ceremonies in Anaheim.
It was a controversial decision for some students, largely because for three years, while graduations were held at Angel Stadium, students weren’t permitted to walk across the stage to accept their diplomas.
Alyssandrei Parinas, left, and Kimberly Lee pose together for a photo before the start of the Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering commencement ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Cal State Long Beach College of Mechanical Engineering student, Zaid Hani Albawab, celebrates after receiving his diploma during commencement at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering graduates wait in line to receive their degrees during a commencement ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Various decorated mortarboard caps on display during Cal State Long Beach’s College of Engineering commencement ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering graduates celebrate during a commencement ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering graduates wait for the start of a commencement ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering graduates walk into Angel Stadium for a commencement ceremony in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering graduates take their seats at Angel Stadium for a commencement ceremony in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
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Alyssandrei Parinas, left, and Kimberly Lee pose together for a photo before the start of the Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering commencement ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
But in 2024, after plenty of pushback from students — who circulated a petition to let graduates walk the stage, which garnered nearly 10,000 signatures in 2023 — CSULB once again allowed students to walk the stage, and that decision continued into 2025’s commencement ceremonies at Angel Stadium.
The decision to move commencement back to campus, meanwhile, was made because of “scheduling challenges with Major League Baseball,” according to Jim Milbury, CSULB’s director of news media services.
Students will walk the stage during the on campus commencement ceremony this year, Milbury said.
“Commencement after 2026 is yet to be determined,” he added.
More information about CSULB’s 2026 commencement ceremonies is online at csulb.edu/commencement.