Alumni
Ring Celebration
RING CELEBRATION CANCELLATION & UNBOXING
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, this year’s spring Ring Celebration was canceled, and ring recipients will receive their Official Texas State Rings by mail. Although we can’t celebrate with you in person, we want to ensure that you have the opportunity to mark this achievement. When you receive your ring, we encourage you to participate in a new tradition – an unboxing. Take videos and photos as you unveil your new ring, try it on, and celebrate with your loved ones at home. Share your celebration on social media using #txstalumni, and we’ll share it with the Bobcat community. We also invite you to attend a future Ring Celebration to christen your ring with San Marcos River water when it is safe to do so.
More information on ring shipments has been shared with recipients through both postal mail and email.
RING CELEBRATION QUICK LIST
- Order Your Ring at Ring Days
- Attend the Ring Celebration
- Take the TXST Plunge
- Celebrate Your Achievement
The Ring Celebration
Each semester, hundreds of Bobcats, family, and friends gather at the Ring Celebration to celebrate achieving an academic milestone and receiving the most visible symbol of Bobcat Pride: The Official Texas State Ring.
Fall Event: December 4 and 5, 2020
We are following the university's Roadmap to Return guidelines for all fall events. Due to these restrictions, we are not yet sure of the format of the fall Ring Celebration, but we ask that students receiving rings this semester hold these dates.
Please note: as of Fall 2019, the Ring Celebration is only open to students participating with the Official Class Ring, provided by Balfour, with no exception.
More Student Resources
What You Should Know
Due to large crowds, it's important for you and your guests to understand how the Ring Celebration works. Here are the top things to remember for the big day:
Come Prepared
Don't forget to bring your printed out or mobile ticket along with a photo ID to check-in (student ID, driver's license, passport). Rings will only be distributed to ring recipients with proper photo ID.
Be on Time
Students will only be permitted entry at their designated entry time, as verified by their printed or digital ticket. Early arrivals to the Meadows Center will be held in a staging area until their designated time. Late arrivals will be held until the next available latecomer time period, occurring every 90 minutes.
Park and Ride
A complimentary shuttle service will be available for guests from the Mill Street Lot, where complimentary event parking will also be located. Parking here to ride the shuttle is the easiest and fastest option for guests, including those with mobility impairments. The shuttle will drop guests off at the check-in location, which will not be an option for vehicles, and will continuously pick up guests to return them to Mill Street.
A park and walk option is available from the Strahan Lot, but the walk is quite far and there will not be a drop-off option available for guests who park in this lot.
Dress the Part
Make sure to wear festive maroon and gold for thematic pictures capturing this exciting moment. Please wear shoes that are comfortable enough to walk outside and near potentially wet areas around Spring Lake.
Bring your Squad
Ring recipients are welcome to bring guests to celebrate with them. These guests will be with you when you are given your ring, but they will not escort you to the official fountain for the traditional ring plunge. Afterward, you'll rejoin each other for additional photo opportunities on the Meadows Center grounds. Please consider how weather conditions, walking distances, and large crowds will affect the health, safety, and comfort of your guests. Concessions will not be open for this event, so please encourage your guests to bring their own bottled water.
Take the Plunge
You will receive your ring and be recognized as you plunge your ring into the fountain of water from the San Marcos River. This plung will connect you with the spirit and tradition the river has carried through this campus for more than 100 years. Family and friends are invited to view your plunge from the sidelines.
Plan Your 'Gram
Once you receive your ring and dip it in our official fountain, you and your guests can share your story with our alumni and fellow students using the hashtags #TXSTPlunge and #TXSTRingCelebration.
If you or a guest require accommodations due to a disability, please contact Alumni Relations at 512-245-2371 at least 72 hours in advance of the event.
The Official Ring
The Official Class Ring is reserved exclusively for currently-enrolled graduate students, degree-holding alumni, and undergraduate students who have completed 75 cumulative credit hours. The Ring Celebration is an event reserved exclusively for participation by Bobcats wearing the Official Class Ring, provided by Balfour.
- The top of the ring features the Texas “lone star” set upon an oak-and-laurel wreath. Around the crown of the ring are the words "Texas State University" and the founding date of 1899.
- The left side features our original campus building, Old Main, with inner tubes floating by on the beautiful San Marcos River.
- The right side features the fierce Bobcat athletic logo, designed in 2003 by student Brad Monk. Texas State adopted the Bobcat mascot in 1921.
- The school flower, the gaillardia, is engraved inside the ring. Also known as the Indian blanket, the gold and maroon flower is the source of Texas State’s school colors.
Can't Attend?
Recipients who do not attend can pick up their ring at the Texas State Alumni Association offices the week after the Ring Celebration. Rings will not be distributed in advance of the event. Any rings not picked up will be transferred back to Balfour to be shipped to the recipient. Not sure where we are located? Please call our office at 512-245-2371.
Alumni who order an official class ring and wish to participate in an official Texas State Ring Celebration should contact the Alumni Association via email at alumni@txstate.edu.