BEAUMONT, Texas – Friday marked a very special day on the Lamar University campus as 36 LU student-athletes achieved the pinnacle of their academic career – graduation. The 2020 graduating class will go down as one of the most unique in not only LU, but United States, history as all sporting events came to an end in mid-March due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition to all sporting events being canceled, all classes were moved online for the remainder of the semester.
 
Due to the continuing social distancing measures to limit the spread of the virus, LU moved its graduation ceremony online for graduates to watch, plus all students will be invited back for an in-person ceremony once the social distancing restrictions have been lifted. All graduates were recognized with pictures on signs placed around the campus, in addition to their pictures streaming across the videoboard at Provost Umphrey Stadium.
 
"Graduation is a very exciting day every semester," said LU Director of Athletics Marco Born. "Today is the realization of dedication and hard work for our student-athletes and the entire graduating class. When I arrived in Beaumont, I had three goals for our student-athletes and that was for them to be champions in the competition arena, champions in the classroom and champions in life. Graduation day is the realization of one of those goals."
 
The Cardinals' 36 graduates include 16 of the university's 17 varsity sports. The football program leads the way with 10 graduates while men's track and field and cross country and baseball each have five. LU softball had four student-athletes, while women's basketball graduated three. Men's basketball and women's tennis had two graduates and men's tennis, men's and women's golf, volleyball and women's track and field and cross country each had one.