Photo by: Joseph Craven
We're Going to Disney World! : Raiders To Play in ESPN Events Invitational
8/6/2026 3:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DAYTON- Your 2026 Horizon League men's basketball regular season and tournament champion Wright State Raiders have been selected to compete in the 2026 ESPN Events Invitational at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The Raiders will compete in the six-team Adventure Group joining Akron, Appalachian State, Belmont, St. Bonaventure and Yale.
Each team is guaranteed three games between Monday, November 23rd and Wednesday, November 25th. All contests will take place at the State Farm Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Full details on matchups and game times will be announced by ESPN later this summer.
Season tickets for your Raiders are on sale now! Packages start as low as $125, click here for additional details or call the Wright State Ticket Office at 937-775-4394.
ABOUT THE RAIDERS
The Raiders are coming off a historic season that saw the program win the regular season and conference tournament for the first time in school history and punched their ticket to the big dance for the fifth time. At 23-12, it marked the 15th time the Raiders eclipsed the 20-win mark since joining the Division-I ranks. Horizon League Freshman of the Year Kellen Pickett is one of the key returners to the 2026-27 squad. It was Pickett's trio of blocks in the final moments of the Horizon League Championship game that helped clinch the victory over Detroit. Led by Horizon League Coach of the Year Clint Sargent, the Raiders bring an exciting mix of talented returners and newcomers in their defense of their Horizon League crowns.
ABOUT THE FIELD
Wright State joins the Akron Zips as the lone teams in the field that made the 2026 NCAA tournament. Akron went 29-6 last season and Dustin Ford begins his tenure as the Zips' head coach. Belmont (29-6) and Yale (24-7) are both coming off tremendous seasons but were upset in their respective conference tournaments. Appalachian State went 19-13 last season in the Sun Belt. St. Bonaventure went 17-17 and will also be under the direction of a new head coach Mike MacDonald, MacDonald is coming off a dominant run at Division-II Daemen University in Buffalo.
ABOUT THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL and WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX
All the games will be played at State Farm Field House, a multi-purpose venue that has been the site of world-class basketball competitions including NBA playoff games and elite youth tournaments.
Fans can sign up for first access to pre-sale tickets at the ESPN Events Invitational web site. Tickets will go on sale later this summer.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is just 21 miles from Orlando International Airport (MCO), which offers non-stop service to over 100 domestic destinations. Traveling fans are encouraged to visit Experience Kissimmee's web site to learn about accommodation options ranging from large resorts to vacation homes. With the world's largest collection of vacation home rentals, Kissimmee claims the title of Vacation Home Capital of the World®.
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2024-25 academic year, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is where sports dreams come true for athletes and fans of all ages. Located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the complex is the home of a variety of events including Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries since opening in 1997. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 260+-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena and two versatile field houses for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose fields for outdoor sports including soccer, football and field hockey. The complex includes a professional production center that produces content for global distribution on the Disney family of networks. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos.
The Raiders will compete in the six-team Adventure Group joining Akron, Appalachian State, Belmont, St. Bonaventure and Yale.
Each team is guaranteed three games between Monday, November 23rd and Wednesday, November 25th. All contests will take place at the State Farm Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Full details on matchups and game times will be announced by ESPN later this summer.
Season tickets for your Raiders are on sale now! Packages start as low as $125, click here for additional details or call the Wright State Ticket Office at 937-775-4394.
ABOUT THE RAIDERS
The Raiders are coming off a historic season that saw the program win the regular season and conference tournament for the first time in school history and punched their ticket to the big dance for the fifth time. At 23-12, it marked the 15th time the Raiders eclipsed the 20-win mark since joining the Division-I ranks. Horizon League Freshman of the Year Kellen Pickett is one of the key returners to the 2026-27 squad. It was Pickett's trio of blocks in the final moments of the Horizon League Championship game that helped clinch the victory over Detroit. Led by Horizon League Coach of the Year Clint Sargent, the Raiders bring an exciting mix of talented returners and newcomers in their defense of their Horizon League crowns.
ABOUT THE FIELD
Wright State joins the Akron Zips as the lone teams in the field that made the 2026 NCAA tournament. Akron went 29-6 last season and Dustin Ford begins his tenure as the Zips' head coach. Belmont (29-6) and Yale (24-7) are both coming off tremendous seasons but were upset in their respective conference tournaments. Appalachian State went 19-13 last season in the Sun Belt. St. Bonaventure went 17-17 and will also be under the direction of a new head coach Mike MacDonald, MacDonald is coming off a dominant run at Division-II Daemen University in Buffalo.
ABOUT THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL and WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX
All the games will be played at State Farm Field House, a multi-purpose venue that has been the site of world-class basketball competitions including NBA playoff games and elite youth tournaments.
Fans can sign up for first access to pre-sale tickets at the ESPN Events Invitational web site. Tickets will go on sale later this summer.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is just 21 miles from Orlando International Airport (MCO), which offers non-stop service to over 100 domestic destinations. Traveling fans are encouraged to visit Experience Kissimmee's web site to learn about accommodation options ranging from large resorts to vacation homes. With the world's largest collection of vacation home rentals, Kissimmee claims the title of Vacation Home Capital of the World®.
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2024-25 academic year, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is where sports dreams come true for athletes and fans of all ages. Located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the complex is the home of a variety of events including Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries since opening in 1997. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 260+-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena and two versatile field houses for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose fields for outdoor sports including soccer, football and field hockey. The complex includes a professional production center that produces content for global distribution on the Disney family of networks. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos.
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