A UNIVERSITY at a loss for a place to stage its graduation ceremonies this year has settled for a venue with a sense of occasion - a football stadium.

The terraces of Sunderland's Stadium of Light will host the University of Sunderland's graduation ceremonies for the first time this summer.

More than 2,000 graduates will receive their degrees and diplomas from the university Chancellor, Lord Puttnam, on a stage in front of the stadium's West Stand, where families and friends will watch proceedings.

The university had been searching for a location for its graduation ceremonies after its usual venue, the Empire Theatre, announced it would be closing for refurbishment.

The Stadium of Light will host a series of ceremonies over several days in July.

Professor Peter Fidler, university vice-chancellor, said: "Our graduation ceremonies are a key part of our academic year and we were facing considerable difficulty in finding a large enough venue that would maintain the ceremonies' quality and sense of occasion.

"I would like to thank the many people and organisations in the city who came forward with kind offers of help when the graduation situation became known.

"We are hugely grateful to Sunderland Football Club for the amount of effort they have put in to developing new arrangements for the ceremonies."

Club chairman Bob Murray said: "The club and the university are long-standing partners and we are delighted to play our part in making sure that this summer's graduation ceremonies are a great success."