The Nutter Center, home to many Wright State University (WSU) athletes and students, brings entertainment to the Dayton community by offering a place where games, concerts and events are can be hosted daily.
All about the Nutter Center
The Nutter Center at WSU has various amenities and attractions. From the design to concessions and smaller gyms, the WSU Nutter Center is a staple to WSU life.
The Nutter Center was conceptualized in 1986, when a Dayton businessman, Ervin J. Nutter, donated $1.5 million to start the grounding of the event center. The Nutter Center officially held its first event on Dec. 1, 1990, when WSU played against Tennessee State University in men's basketball.
From there, the center only grew. Professional teams, from the Dayton Dynamo soccer team to hockey teams like the Dayton Bombers, began to use this center's amenities to benefit their teams, like an ice floor installed for hockey players.
Eventually, The Nutter Center gained even more attention with popular performers visiting and putting on shows for local citizens and traveling fans. Artists like Ke$ha, The Eagles, Elton John and Bob Dylan have performed there, as well as corporations like Disney on Ice.
Recently, The Nutter Center even made an appearance on the recent Disney+ docuseries called “Taylor Swift: The End of an Era,” showing that one of the biggest pop stars got a start to her career at the Nutter Center.
More teams and performing artists who have attended this center can be found here.
Skylar Smith, a fourth-year student and Adolescent Young Adult Integrated Language Arts Education student, spoke about the center.
“The Nutter Center is an impressive facility that offers a wide range of entertainment for both [WSU] and the surrounding community. From major events and concerts to exciting sporting events, it’s a place where there’s always something happening,” Smith said.
Athletics at the Nutter Center
The Nutter Center is not only important to performers, but for the student athletes as well. Raider athletes call the building home, with the men’s and women’s basketball teams playing in the main gym, and teams like women’s volleyball and multiple club sports playing in McLin gym.
McLin Gym is located in The Nutter Center on the first floor which is a smaller gym used for more student purposes and intramural sports games and practices such as men’s club basketball.
Media Studies major and forward for the club basketball team, Lavell Lyles talked about what this gym means to him as a player.
“When we play at McLin I feel like I’m more comfortable and confident with myself. I feel like I play more with a chip on my shoulders and I don’t want to lose in front of the home fans. Just playing on the [WSU] logo gives us a chance to represent our university,” Lyles said.
The Nutter Center is a staple to the WSU and Dayton community, holding approximately 11,200 fans. Students get discounts, so check it out and fill those seats for local concerts or sporting events.
