Wright State University sits in Fairborn, Ohio, a city of roughly 34,000 people in Greene County, just east of Dayton. The campus is located at 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, about 8 miles from downtown Dayton and roughly 20 miles from the Dayton International Airport.
Founded in 1964 as a branch campus of Ohio State University and Miami University before achieving independent status in 1967, Wright State is named after Wilbur and Orville Wright, the aviation pioneers who grew up in nearby Dayton and built their bicycle shop just down the road. The school has grown to approximately 11,924 students across programs in engineering, nursing, education, and liberal arts.
The Raiders compete in the Horizon League. Head coach Clint Sargent is in his second year leading the program and guided Wright State to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2026.
Clint Sargent and Program History
Wright State plays home games at the Nutter Center, an arena that opened in 1990 on the campus in Fairborn. The arena seats 8,000 for basketball configurations and serves as one of the Dayton region’s premier entertainment venues, hosting concerts and touring shows in addition to Raiders games. The Nutter Center has been a selling point for the program in recruiting, offering a legitimate big-venue experience at the mid-major level.
The Raiders moved to Division I in 1987 and competed as an independent for four years before joining the Mid-Continent Conference, then the Horizon League. Their overall D-I record since 1987-88 stands at 669-526.
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The program’s most notable moment came in 2022, when Wright State won the Horizon League championship and defeated Bryant in the First Four to earn the program’s first Division I NCAA Tournament win. That run gave the Raiders genuine national recognition and a foundation to build on.
Program Identity and 2026 Tournament
Wright State’s connection to the Wright Brothers gives the program a compelling identity hook that extends beyond Dayton-area fandom. The Raiders name and branding lean into that aviation heritage, and the school’s proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base adds to the regional character of the program.
The Raiders’ 2026 NCAA Tournament appearance marks the fifth in school history as a Division I program and the first since their 2022 run. With Sargent continuing to build the program and a Horizon League title in hand, Wright State returns to the Big Dance with legitimate first-round upset potential. The Raiders’ track record of competing and winning at the tournament level gives the program a foundation that many Horizon League programs never reach.
The Wright Brothers connection gives the school a unique national hook that extends well beyond Greene County. The university actively acknowledges its aviation heritage, and the Dayton area draws tourism specifically because of the Wright Brothers’ legacy. For a program trying to build a national profile as a mid-major, that built-in identity is a genuine recruiting asset. Any basketball fan who watches the Raiders and goes searching for where Wright State is located discovers a campus tied to one of America’s most significant technological achievements.
