Detroit native Jalen Rose has been announced as the main speaker at the University of Michigan’s 2026 Spring Commencement.
According to the university, Rose will also receive a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree.
Rose announced the news on his social pages on Tuesday (March 24).
“I am so humbled and honored to be the main speaker at Michigan’s Spring Commencement ceremony,” he wrote. “I will also be receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.”
He added, “See you May 2 at The Big House! #GoBlue.”
Connection to University of Michigan
Born and raised in Detroit, Rose’s ties to the University were first captured in the early 1990s as a key member of the school’s iconic Fab Five.
The Fab Five, which included Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, made back-to-back NCAA national title game appearances in 1992 and 1993 under coach Steve Fisher.
Though they lost both the 1992 and 1993 games, they were celebrated as trendsetters. The players were known for their unforgettable style rocking baggy shorts, black socks, and Nike Huarache shoes.
In 1994, Rose was selected in the first round of the NBA draft, where he played 13 seasons. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2000 and helped the Indiana Pacers reach the NBA Finals that same year.
Rose turned to broadcasting in his post-playing career, most recently serving as a college basketball analyst for TNT and CBS’ coverage of March Madness.
One of his biggest contributions off the court was founding the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in 2011. The open-enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school located in the Detroit neighborhood where he grew up now serves more than 400 students annually and over 1,000 alumni, with a 95% graduation rate and 100% college and postsecondary acceptance.
In 2015, Rose released his New York Times bestseller, “Got to Give the People What They Want: True Stories and Flagrant Opinions from Center Court.”