Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Doors to the arena will open one hour prior to the start of each ceremony.  Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony.

Guests use South and West doors.

Graduates only may use East doors for express entry. Graduates are not required to enter through the East doors but it is highly recommended. 

Please Note: Traffic delays should be expected at all venues. Areas surrounding Carver-Hawkeye Arena will likely be congested with traffic from other campus events; please plan accordingly. 

Due to construction, traffic congestion around Carver-Hawkeye Arena is expected during commencement, so please allow extra time for your travel and parking.

Evening and Weekend Carver-Hawkeye Arena Commencement Ceremonies

Complementary parking for commencement at Carver-Hawkeye Arena is available in the locations listed here:

• Parking will be available on a first-come first-served basis within walking distance at parking lots 40, 33 (Dental Visitor), 43 (Kinnick), 65 (Finkbine), and 75 (Arena Commuter). 
• Guests with disabilities who have a state-issued ADA parking placard or license plate will be permitted to use Lot 46, adjacent to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. From Lot 46 guests should enter through the west doors.
  • Please Note: Accessible parking in Lot 46 is limited to a first-come first-served basis. Once full, drop-offs will be allowed and then drivers will be directed to overflow accessible parking in Lot 40. 

If you have specific questions on event parking, please contact the collegiate commencement coordinator of your ceremony in advance.

Public Safety officials will search any purses or bags brought into the building. Everyone will be asked to open their coats or graduation gown for visual inspection.

No backpacks, large bags, packages, wrapped gifts, balloons, flowers, or outside food and beverage are allowed at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during this event. No air horns or alcohol are permitted.

The following items are allowed inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. All permitted items and patrons are subject to search and will be tagged at entrance.

• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC that do not exceed 12″x6″x12″
• Clutch bags that do not exceed 4.5″x6.5″
• Factory-sealed water bottles or empty, refillable bottles [Limit one (1), under one (1) gallon]
• Medically necessary items (includes equipment for nursing mothers and diaper bags)

The following items are NOT allowed inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Admission will be denied to anyone carrying the following items.

• Wrapped gifts, balloons, flowers
• Alcoholic beverages
• (New) Backpacks, purses, handbags and/or cinch bags
• Banners and signs
• Coolers, glass containers, backpack hydration systems, or refillable water bottles over one (1) gallon
• Large lens cameras (6″ or more), video cameras or tripods
• Noisemakers, strobe lights or any other disruptive devices
• Outside food (unless medically indicated)
• Non-service animals
• Strollers and car seats
• Tobacco of any kind (including e-cigarettes)
• Umbrellas
• Weapons of any kind

No outside food or drinks allowed except one sealed water bottle or empty refillable bottle per student and/or guest.

During spring ceremonies limited items will be sold at concession stands in sections CC, JJ/KK, K/L, and C/D on the main concourse.  Items include bottled beverages with lids and packaged food. Please note that all transactions will be cashless. Credit, debit, and mobile pay accepted.

Arena Accessibility

There is NO PUBLIC ELEVATOR USAGE available during commencement. Elevator policy can be found below.

• Seating for guests is accessible from the upper concourse level, which is at ground level where you will enter. Guests with disabilities or limited mobility can find seating in the Feller Club Room. This room is equipped with large television screens and commencement ceremonies can be watched live from here. No food or beverage will be permitted in this room.
• Guests with disabilities are also welcome to view the ceremony from the upper concourse level. Wheelchair and scooter spaces can be found in sections K – N on this level. Space is limited so we ask that guests seat themselves and two companions in this area. Guests should provide their own wheelchair if needed.
• A sign language interpreter will be on-stage to interpret the ceremony.

Parking

Evening and Weekend Carver-Hawkeye Arena Commencement Ceremonies

• Guests with disabilities who have a state-issued ADA parking placard or license plate will be permitted to use Lot 46, adjacent to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. From Lot 46 guests should enter through the west doors.
  • Please Note: Accessible parking in Lot 46 is limited to a first-come first-served basis. Once full, drop-offs will be allowed and then drivers will be directed to overflow accessible parking in Lot 40.

The policies described below have been reviewed by the state fire marshal, the UI fire safety coordinator, and the UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity to ensure safety and accessibility for UI students and family members.

There is NO PUBLIC ELEVATOR USAGE available during commencement.

• During a UI commencement at the arena, elevator use may be limited to staff and special event participants, such as faculty or graduates at a graduation ceremony. This is to prevent persons with mobility issues from using the elevator to access the floor, only to be trapped there in the case of a fire or other emergency.
• Seating at Carver-Hawkeye Arena is designed to allow emergency evacuation through the exits on the upper concourse and/or the floor tunnel. Because the floor tunnel may become blocked by a fire or other obstruction during an emergency, the university requires that attendees with mobility issues not be seated on or near the floor; they must be seated in the Feller Club Room or on the upper concourse level. During a fire or emergency, elevators may not function and floor-seated attendees unable to navigate stairs might not have an exit pathway. Floor seating is generally reserved for graduates, faculty, and special guests. Concourse seating is available for all other attendees.
• Attendees with disabilities or limited mobility may find seating in two places, both of which are level with the West doors entrance and do not require attendees to navigate steps or use an elevator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I’m a Hawkeye fan who is unable to go up and down stairs, and I go to games at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena all the time. They’ve never made me sit on the concourse before. Why do I have to sit on the concourse at a graduation?

A: Evacuation procedures approved by the state fire marshal require attendees seated on the floor to exit the building through the floor tunnel. However, because the floor tunnel may be blocked by a fire or other obstruction during an emergency, procedures require trained staff to carry persons with mobility issues up the stairs to concourse exits.At graduation events, those trained staff are generally not available; therefore state law requires that persons with mobility issues be seated on the upper concourse.

Q: Why can’t I just use the elevator?

A: During a fire, state law requires that the elevators shut down for the safety of attendees. This is to prevent attendees from becoming trapped inside a damaged elevator.

Q: I’ve attended graduation events at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2007 and 2008, and was allowed to sit in floor seating then. Why can’t I now?

A: In May 2012, following building renovations, the state fire marshal, the UI fire safety coordinator, and the UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity determined that for safety reasons access to the floor via the elevators during non-university sponsored events should be limited to staff who are working the event and graduates who may need access to the elevator. Accessible seating for those who are unable to navigate the stairs is designated on the concourse.
 

Seating at Carver-Hawkeye Arena is designed to allow emergency evacuation through the exits on the upper concourse and/or the floor tunnel. Because the floor tunnel may become blocked by a fire or other obstruction during an emergency, the university requires that attendees with mobility issues not be seated on or near the floor; they must be seated in the Feller Club Room or on the upper concourse level. During a fire or emergency, elevators may not function and floor-seated attendees unable to navigate stairs might not have an exit pathway. Floor seating is generally reserved for graduates, faculty, and special guests. Concourse seating is available for all other attendees.

During a UI commencement at the arena, elevator use may be limited to staff and special event participants, such as faculty or graduates at a graduation ceremony. This is to prevent persons with mobility issues from using the elevator to access the floor, only to be trapped there in the case of a fire or other emergency.

Named for the late Roy Carver, a long-time supporter of the University of Iowa, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, one of the 25 largest university-owned facilities in the nation, opened in January of 1983 and underwent a multi-million dollar facelift that was completed in September, 2011.