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Brett Young to Deliver 2026 UM Commencement Address
University's 173rd annual Convocation slated for May 9 in the Grove
OXFORD, Miss. – Diamond-certified country artist and former Ole Miss baseball player Brett Young will headline the University of Mississippi's 2026 Commencement as the featured speaker.
Young will deliver his speech at the university's 173rd Convocation, set for 9 a.m. May 9 in the Grove.
"We look forward to welcoming Brett Young back to campus to address the Class of 2026 for this meaningful, celebratory milestone in their lives," Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. "His journey of perseverance from collegiate pitcher to renowned country music vocalist with a devoted following will resonate with our students as they head into the world to chart their own paths of success.
"We're grateful to Brett for contributing to our long-standing tradition of featuring prominent voices for our graduating students and their families."
Young enrolled as a freshman at the university in 1999 and played one season for the baseball Rebels. Despite his time at Ole Miss being short, the Hotty Toddy spirit greatly influenced Young.
"Weekend tailgates in the Grove were like nothing I'd ever seen," the 2018 Academy of Country Music New Male Vocalist of the Year said. "Hotty Toddy is more than a chant or a war cry; it's a tradition and a culture all its own."
The right-handed pitcher experienced the Hotty Toddy excitement when he started for the Rebs for the first time on a Friday night against Vanderbilt
"Earning the Friday night starting spot as a freshman in the SEC was an honor and an experience I'm very proud of and will never forget," he said.
What he learned from his time at the university endures. Young has been back to visit several times.
He filmed a video for his single "Catch" on campus and at Swayze Field in 2019, threw out the first pitch in 2022 against Mississippi State and performed in 2024 at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. His song "Hell Yeah, Damn Right" is regularly played at home athletics events.
"My experience with true Southern hospitality at Ole Miss was more than something that made me feel welcome there," Young said. "It was a lesson in how to treat people in life and something that has stuck with me and will be taught and passed down to my family."
He left UM in 2000 and eventually landed at Fresno State University to continue playing baseball. An elbow injury there ended his baseball career but opened the door to one in music.
Through his honest lyrics and West Coast-meets-Southern sound, Young developed his own signature music style dubbed "Caliville."
His first seven singles went to No. 1, and his self-titled debut spent 37 weeks inside the Top 20. His hits include "In Case You Didn't Know," "Mercy," "Sleep Without You," "Like I Loved You," "Here Tonight," "Catch" and "Lady."
His music has been streamed more than 8.5 billion times globally. He was named ASCAP's Country Songwriter Artist of the Year in 2018 and has earned nominations from Billboard, Teen Choice, CMT and the CMA Awards throughout his music career.
Young is not only a songwriter, but also a children's book author.
His first book, "Love You, Little Lady" (Tommy Nelson, an imprint of Harper Collins, 2021), was inspired by the lyrics of "Lady" and is about a father's love for his daughter.
A similar familial love brings him back to Ole Miss to offer encouragement and advice to graduates. He plans to encourage students to follow their own paths.
"Your journey might not make sense to some people," he said. "That's OK. It isn't theirs."
By Marisa C. Atkinson
