Wright State University is in the Dayton, Ohio, area, and the 14-seed Raiders are 3-seed Virginia’s first-round opponent in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Wright State’s official quick-facts page lists total enrollment at 11,924 and says the campus is located eight miles northeast of downtown Dayton. A recent Common Data Set also shows Wright State admitted the vast majority of first-time applicants in fall 2024, so this is a broad-access public university, not a tiny selective private school. Virginia and Wright State meet Friday, which is why this location query is live.
Readers searching “Where is Wright State?” are usually doing two things at once. They are trying to place the school geographically, and they are also trying to decide whether this is a real upset-watch team or just a name they vaguely remember from past brackets. That is why the Dayton frame matters so much here: Wright State is not just in Ohio, it is tied to one of the sport’s most recognizable March cities.
Where is Wright State University?
Wright State is in the Dayton area, more specifically near Fairborn and about eight miles northeast of downtown Dayton. That is the most useful quick answer because “Dayton” means something instantly to college basketball fans in a way “Fairborn” often does not. When readers search the school on tournament day, they want a city they recognize first and a more precise map pin second.
Wright State enrollment and acceptance rate
Wright State lists 11,924 total students across campuses, including more than 9,000 undergraduates. The school’s Common Data Set for fall 2024 also shows that it admitted most first-time applicants, reinforcing that the campus has a broad-access admissions profile. That matters in this format because it helps to show scale: Wright State is a substantial public university in the Dayton orbit, not a one-building Cinderella nobody has heard of.
How did Wright State make the tournament?
Wright State reached the field by winning the Horizon League Tournament, and the Raiders entered the NCAA Tournament at 23-11. That matters because this is not an accidental bracket team that snuck in below .500. Wright State arrived with a real offense, a league title, and enough scoring punch that Virginia-focused preview coverage treated the Raiders as a legitimate first-round opponent rather than a throwaway 14 seed.
Has Wright State ever won an NCAA tournament game?
Yes. Wright State entered this tournament with a 1-4 all-time NCAA Tournament record, according to the New York Post. The Raiders are not a total stranger to March, even if they are still a program with limited national-tournament history compared with a school like Virginia.
Wright State stats and top scorers
Wright State is more interesting than the average 14 seed because the numbers say the Raiders can score in multiple ways. They average 80.5 points per game and shoot 48.9% from the field. Michael Cooper leads the team at 13.4 points per game, TJ Burch adds 12.3 points and 3.5 assists, Michael Imariagbe posts 11.8 points and 7 rebounds, and the Raiders shoot 36.1% from three as a team. They are not a pure bomb-away underdog; they also try to play through contact and finish inside. That gives Wright State at least a plausible formula for hanging around if Virginia’s offense gets sticky and the Raiders make enough early shots.
Prediction: Can Wright State upset Virginia?
Wright State is good enough offensively to make this uncomfortable for a while, and that is more than you can say for some lower seeds. But the cleaner prediction is still the favorite, especially because Virginia’s rim protection lines up well against one of Wright State’s core strengths. Prediction: Virginia 79, Wright State 67. A competitive first half would not be surprising; the full upset would be.
Where Is Wright State University? NCAA Tournament Facts on Virginia’s Opponent