Colorado State University Athletics
Canvas Stadium 10 Year Anniversary: Creating One Big Celebration
7/30/2026 12:00:00 PM | Football
University-wide commencement takes center stage
For years, the graduates of Colorado State University filtered onto campus in either the winter or the spring to collect their diplomas. As the university's President, Amy Parsons felt it was time to condense the effort to honor those who had taken a big step toward securing their futures.
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To fall in line with most major university's nationally, Parson's instituted a single, university-wide commencement to take place each spring – eliminating the fall ceremonies -- starting in May of 2025. The concept has earned rave reviews, noted by the energy at the most recent commencement, to be held annually at Canvas Stadium. With students packing the field and spectators filling the seating sections, it was estimated nearly 40,000 people came to campus as part of the celebration.
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At each of the first two commencements, the keynote speaker has been a former Colorado State athlete. The first was Eugene Daniels, a two-year letterwinner for the Rams' football team before an injury stalled his career. A political science major who moved to journalism, he is currently the senior Washington correspondent for MSNBC and co-host the "The Weekend."
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Daniels urged the crowd to understand they belong in every space they will occupy.
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"When the world tests your resolve, what will you do?" he asked the graduates during his speech. "Will you stand firm, 10 toes down, in everything you know is right? If you really, truly, accept that you belong in those rooms, the answers to all those questions will be, 'Yes.'"
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Hunter Powell delivered this year's commencement speech fresh off his Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. His path made for an incredibly inspirational speech, going from a Mountain West decathlon champion and an NCAA Outdoor nationals qualifier to his seat in a bobsled during the Olympics.
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Dreams change, but he reminded everyone in attendance they are worth pursuing for the benefits which have yet to be revealed.
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"Dreams are the great motivators in life; they are the height of our goals," Powell told the crowd. "And the crazy part is, it is not actually about achieving your dreams. It is about the person you become along the way, the people you come to meet and the impact you have on others while in pursuit of that dream."
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Moving forward, the dreams of thousands of Colorado State University graduates will come together one day in the spring, tassels being moved from one side to the other before caps are thrown into the air, marking a major accomplishment and the start of an upward path.
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To fall in line with most major university's nationally, Parson's instituted a single, university-wide commencement to take place each spring – eliminating the fall ceremonies -- starting in May of 2025. The concept has earned rave reviews, noted by the energy at the most recent commencement, to be held annually at Canvas Stadium. With students packing the field and spectators filling the seating sections, it was estimated nearly 40,000 people came to campus as part of the celebration.
Â
At each of the first two commencements, the keynote speaker has been a former Colorado State athlete. The first was Eugene Daniels, a two-year letterwinner for the Rams' football team before an injury stalled his career. A political science major who moved to journalism, he is currently the senior Washington correspondent for MSNBC and co-host the "The Weekend."
Â
Daniels urged the crowd to understand they belong in every space they will occupy.
Â
"When the world tests your resolve, what will you do?" he asked the graduates during his speech. "Will you stand firm, 10 toes down, in everything you know is right? If you really, truly, accept that you belong in those rooms, the answers to all those questions will be, 'Yes.'"
Â
Hunter Powell delivered this year's commencement speech fresh off his Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. His path made for an incredibly inspirational speech, going from a Mountain West decathlon champion and an NCAA Outdoor nationals qualifier to his seat in a bobsled during the Olympics.
Â
Dreams change, but he reminded everyone in attendance they are worth pursuing for the benefits which have yet to be revealed.
Â
"Dreams are the great motivators in life; they are the height of our goals," Powell told the crowd. "And the crazy part is, it is not actually about achieving your dreams. It is about the person you become along the way, the people you come to meet and the impact you have on others while in pursuit of that dream."
Â
Moving forward, the dreams of thousands of Colorado State University graduates will come together one day in the spring, tassels being moved from one side to the other before caps are thrown into the air, marking a major accomplishment and the start of an upward path.
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