Craig Melvin just got a big gig.
The TODAY co-host will deliver Villanova University’s 2026 Commencement address, the university announced on Wednesday.
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In addition to delivering the address, Melvin will also receive an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree, per the university’s website. The ceremony, which will mark Villanova’s 183rd commencement, will be held on Tuesday, May 19, at 2:30 p.m. in Villanova Stadium, or Finneran Pavilion in the event of severe weather.
“Honored and truly excited to share that I’ll be delivering the commencement address at Villanova University for the Class of 2026,” Melvin posted to Facebook on Thursday. “See you in May, Wildcats.”
It should be pointed out that Melvin is not a Villanova alum, as he earned his Bachelor of Arts in government from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2001. Melvin was an evening news anchor at WIS in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, and was later a weekend anchor for WRC, an NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C.
Melvin officially joined NBC News and MSNBC in July 2011 and became a news anchor on Today in 2018. In 2019, he began co-hosting the third hour of TODAY with Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer, and Sheinelle Jones. After Hoda Kotb retired from TODAY in 2025, Melvin was announced as her official replacement as co-anchor alongside Savannah Guthrie.
As of now, it has not been confirmed whether Melvin will be taking some time off for the commencement, but it can be assumed that he will be absent from the desk for at least the day of the ceremony, and possibly the day before or after. Melvin has begun his week-long Spring Break as of Friday, with Weekend Today’s Laura Jarrett and Sunday Today’s Willie Geist filling in for him and Guthrie.
Villanova 2026 graduates are in good hands with Craig Melvin as their commencement speaker. Those wanting to tune in to hear what Melvin says, or who have friends or family graduating from Villanova in May, can watch a livestream of the commencement. Villanova University’s 2026 Spring Commencement will take place on Tuesday, May 19, at 2:30 p.m. in Villanova Stadium. If there is severe weather, the ceremony will be taken indoors and held at Finneran Pavilion.
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