Copyright Star Tribune
The U says the two dozen commencements held at Mariucci and other venues each spring have put a “significant strain” on campus resources. By Erin Adler The Minnesota Star Tribune October 29, 2025 at 9:34PM Vametta Marie Ngungkpan is held aloft by friends after she exited the graduation ceremony for Blaine High School at the 3M Arena at Mariucci on June 1. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune) “Capacity-wise, I think we’re pretty tapped out,” he said then. He said that 2024’s 20 graduations brought in about $200,000 for the U. Northrop has about 2,800 seats, meaning Mariucci is the only indoor venue at the U seating over 3,000 people. Related Coverage Some metro-area high schools give graduating seniors a limited number of tickets to commencement that family and friends must redeem to attend. Others, including many that held ceremonies at Mariucci, didn’t require tickets because it’s such a large space. Several spokespeople said their schools didn’t want to have to hand out tickets. About 750 Champlin Park High school students attended graduation ceremonies at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis in 2024. (Jerry Holt) One school district official said now having to find a new site means graduation day next summer might have to change, while another said seniors’ schedules could be different, including their last day of school. Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools, Minnesota’s largest school district, was the first district to hold graduations at Mariucci about 15 years ago for most of its five high schools, because school leaders didn’t want to rip up football field grass with chairs. Erin Adler Reporter Erin Adler is a news reporter covering higher education in Minnesota. She previously covered south metro suburban news, K-12 education and Carver County for the Minnesota Star Tribune. See More
