Arkansas State's graduation page states "Fall 2026 Commencement Date: Dec 12th, 2026", a Saturday, and its cap-and-gown page gives the venue as "First National Bank Arena, 217 Olympic Dr." The page assigns the sittings: "The 10 a.m. ceremony will include the College of Agriculture, Neil Griffin College of Business, College of Nursing & Health Professions, and University College. The 2 p.m. ceremony will include the College of Education & Behavioral Science, College of Liberal Arts & Communication, College of Engineering & Computer Science, and Beck College of Sciences & Mathematics." For spring the same page says "Spring 2027 Commencement Date: May 2027 Times: TBA" and nothing more: no day, no venue. This page does not infer a date from the 2026 pattern; a month is what the university has published and a month is what this page carries. The Embassy Suites Red Wolf Convention Center, 203 rooms, is on campus beside the arena, which makes the walk from hotel to seat about as short as it gets.

December: a date, a Saturday, and the building it happens in

A-State’s graduation page: “Fall 2026 Commencement Date: Dec 12th, 2026.” A Saturday. The cap-and-gown page names the building: “First National Bank Arena, 217 Olympic Dr.”, on campus.

The sittings are assigned. “The 10 a.m. ceremony will include the College of Agriculture, Neil Griffin College of Business, College of Nursing & Health Professions, and University College.” “The 2 p.m. ceremony will include the College of Education & Behavioral Science, College of Liberal Arts & Communication, College of Engineering & Computer Science, and Beck College of Sciences & Mathematics.” Find the college; the hour follows, and the Friday night with it.

Spring: a month, deliberately not a day

The same page: “Spring 2027 Commencement Date: May 2027 Times: TBA.”

That is all. No day, no venue, no times. A reader could look at Spring 2026 and guess, and this page will not, because a guessed date on a page about hotel bookings is worse than no date. When A-State publishes the day, the review scheduled for November adds it to both pages. Until then, anyone who must book for May should do so on a cancellable rate and treat the whole month as open.

Tickets and streaming

Neither a ticket rule nor a livestream link for December 2026 was found on A-State’s graduation pages at this check. Both are the kind of detail that posts in the weeks before the round; re-read the graduation page in November.

The shortest walk in the batch

The Embassy Suites Red Wolf Convention Center, 203 rooms, stands on campus next to the arena, and A-State’s lodging page says it offers an A-State rate. Whether that rate is offered on commencement weekend is not stated. The where to stay page has the hotel, the corridor across town when it is full, and the ring, which is thin until Memphis.

FARTHER FROM CAMPUS, MORE ROOMSon campusJonesboro (campus) ›203 rooms on campus beside the arena, plus a chain corridor five to seven minutes out26 minParagould, AR ›Not measured for this cluster61 minKennett, MO ›Not measured for this cluster66 minBlytheville, AR ›Not measured for this cluster70 minWest Memphis, AR ›Not measured for this cluster
How far a family has to drive once Jonesboro itself is full. Drive times are stated on each rung and are not drawn to scale. Every figure here comes from the sources listed at the foot of this page. Each row opens live availability at that coordinate through our partner Stay22; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Live availability near campus

Map and booking links are provided by our partner Stay22. We may earn a commission on bookings made through this map at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

When is Arkansas State's December 2026 commencement?

Saturday 12 December 2026, per the graduation page read on 14 September 2026. 12 December 2026 is a Saturday.

Where is it held?

First National Bank Arena, 217 Olympic Drive, on campus in Jonesboro, per A-State's cap-and-gown page.

What time?

10 a.m. for Agriculture, Griffin Business, Nursing and Health Professions and University College; 2 p.m. for Education and Behavioral Science, Liberal Arts and Communication, Engineering and Computer Science, and Beck Sciences and Mathematics, per the graduation page.

When is Spring 2027?

"May 2027", per the graduation page. No day is published. This page does not project one from 2026, and the November review checks for it.

Do we need tickets?

Not stated at this check on the graduation pages. Re-check nearer the round.

Can we watch online?

Not stated at this check. A-State's graduation page is where a livestream link would appear.

How many nights?

The Friday night for December. The Embassy Suites on campus has 203 rooms and an A-State rate on the university's lodging page; the where-to-stay page has the rest of Jonesboro and the thin ring.

How we verified this

Last verified:

This page is verified in two stages. Every fact is checked against the primary sources listed above, then the page is reviewed and signed off by our editor, A. Hassan. Corrections and enquiries: hello@graduationstay.com

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