University officials expect a crowd of at least 34,000 to attend the ceremony, giving Romney the largest audience he’s likely to face before he accepts his party’s nomination in August, DeMoss said.

Mitt Romney will deliver the commencement address to this year’s Liberty University graduates, a speech likely to offer more than the usual tips for success dished out during graduation ceremonies.

Unlike Rick Santorum, his former rival for the Republican nomination, Romney has not actively courted evangelical voters, a bloc pundits say he needs if he’s going to beat President Barack Obama in November. After weeks of speculation about who evangelicals would support after Santorum dropped out of the race, the commencement gives Romney a chance to be seen and heard in a prime evangelical setting, said Mark DeMoss, an unpaid Romney adviser.

“Schools don’t endorse candidates, but I think his being there will be closely watched by conservatives and evangelicals around the country,” said DeMoss, who is both a Liberty graduate and a member of the school’s Board of Trustees.

Although several other Republican presidential hopefuls made trips to the school earlier in the campaign, the graduation event will be Romney’s first visit to the conservative Christian campus in Lynchburg, Va.

In a prepared statement issued on Thursday, Liberty President Jerry Falwell, Jr. said he was “delighted” Romney had accepted his invitation and described it as an “historic event.” Liberty administrators did not respond to interview requests following the announcement, but DeMoss confirmed Falwell only decided to issue the invitation within the last 10 days. The school had another speaker in the wings, just in case Romney refused.

University officials expect a crowd of at least 34,000 to attend the ceremony, giving Romney the largest audience he’s likely to face before he accepts his party’s nomination in August, DeMoss said.

Although Romney has not tailored his message to different audiences, including evangelicals, DeMoss downplays suggestions the candidate’s overlooking any group of potential supporters. Romney’s main message has been about the economy, something that’s just as important to evangelicals as it is to other voters, DeMoss said.

“But to be able to go to a place like Liberty and address that many people from all 50 states is a pretty good way to connect with a lot of folks who also happen to be evangelicals,” he said.

@2012 WORLD Magazine – used with permission