Wright State University has announced a sellout for the Stars, Stripes and Flight Classic, the Nov. 2 men’s basketball game between the Wright State Raiders and the Air Force Falcons at the Nutter Center in Fairborn.
The game, supported by CareSource and The Big Hoopla, serves as Wright State’s home opener and the start of the season for the defending Horizon League champions, on what the university calls the opening night of college basketball in Dayton.
“Fans have stepped up for both the Raiders and Falcons in an unprecedented show of support,” said Wright State athletics director Brad Chandler. “We’ve hinted at a few surprises, but simply put, the Nutter Center will be the place to be for the opening night of college basketball.”
The night is built around the region’s military community. The Classic honors Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the U.S. Air Force, veterans and active-duty service members, and it kicks off The Big Hoopla, the Dayton region’s basketball celebration building toward the return of the NCAA First Four to Dayton in March 2027.
Wright State has reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the last five seasons, and the Raiders open this campaign in front of a capacity crowd against a service-academy opponent — a matchup the university designed to bring fans from across the Miami Valley together to honor those who serve.
The sellout also extends the Dayton region’s claim as an epicenter of college basketball. Between Wright State’s recent tournament runs, the University of Dayton’s national profile and the First Four’s long history in the city, a full Nutter Center on opening night adds a service-academy showcase to a basketball calendar that already runs from November into March.
Ticket holders will receive a free Vintage Rowdy T-shirt at the door. The university says more details on pregame activities will be released this week.
With tickets gone a full week before tipoff, the sellout is an early marker for the Miami Valley’s basketball season: the region that hosts the First Four will open its college season with a full arena, a military tribute and the defending league champions on their home floor.
Photo: DBSculpture, CC BY-SA 4.0