Izod Center Shutdown Impacts YU Commencement Plans

Last week, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority decided to shut down the struggling Izod Center, one of the major arenas within the Meadowlands Complex. In addition to being the former home of the New Jersey Devils of the NHL, Seton Hall University basketball and the Nets NBA franchise (which has since moved on to Brooklyn), for years the Izod Center hosted Yeshiva University’s graduation exercises. According to President Richard Joel, who sent out a university-wide y-stud, after already deciding to reschedule commencement for a Sunday afternoon during the middle of finals, YU must now look for a completely new place to host the graduation of its Class of 2015. “We are already immersed in the process of identifying a new location,” assured President Joel. The proposed date, Sunday, May 17, is now in limbo as well.

According to NJ.com, a total of “thirteen college and high school graduations scheduled for Izod in May and June must be moved,”  in addition to various concerts and World Wrestling Entertainment’s annual SummerSlam event. The president’s email, while acknowledging the unfortunate news, ended with a heartwarming charge. “We are confident that a great alternative will be secured in the next few weeks and will provide an update as soon as possible.”

photo: IZOD center by Roman Fuchs / CC BY-SA 3.0