--- title: Wright State Withdraws From Hosting 2016 Presidential Debate description: Wright State University has withdrawn from hosting the two candidates, citing security costs. The debate will move to Hofstra University canonical: https://time.com/4413389/wright-state-university-presidential-debate/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-19T18:34:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-14T23:25:09.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Wright State University Withdraws From Hosting Presidential Debate og:description: Citing mounting costs and security concerns og:url: https://time.com/4413389/wright-state-university-presidential-debate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d5be5d5fd41dbdb/69889c8d196cf49e8503c759/wright-state-debate.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Mark Emmert og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Wright State University Withdraws From Hosting Presidential Debate twitter:description: Citing mounting costs and security concerns twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d5be5d5fd41dbdb/69889c8d196cf49e8503c759/wright-state-debate.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Wright State University Withdraws From Hosting Presidential Debate  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Updated: Dec 14, 2023 11:25 PM UTCPublished: Jul 19, 2016 6:34 PM UTC  Wright State University president David R. Hopkins at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Aug. 7, 2014. Wright State University president David R. Hopkins at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Aug. 7, 2014.Michael Conroy—AP  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Updated: Dec 14, 2023 11:25 PM UTCPublished: Jul 19, 2016 6:34 PM UTC An [Ohio university](http://www.whio.com/news/news/wright-state-university-set-to-make-major-debate-a/nr2Jw/?ecmp=whiotv%5Fsocial%5Ftwitter%5F2014%5Fsfp) that was set to hold the [first general presidential election debate](http://time.com/4046890/2016-presidential-debates/) has withdrawn from hosting the two candidates, citing mounting costs and security concerns. Wright State University, which had [boasted on its Twitter account](https://twitter.com/wrightstate/status/646735782577700864) of being the first to host a debate between the presidential hopefuls after the Democratic and Republican conventions, said on Tuesday it had to pull out of the scheduled Sept. 26 event. “This is a very difficult decision,” Wright State President David Hopkins said in a statement. “But there has been a growing crescendo of concern about what it would take to guarantee the safety and security of the campus and the community. The expense would be daunting.” Hopkins told WHIO that the university could not raise enough money to cover the estimated $8 million to host the event. He also said he had concerns for safety following the [attack in Nice](http://time.com/4407331/nice-terror-attack-reactions/), France that left at least 84 people dead. “I can’t assure the safety of our students and the community,” Hopkins told the news station. “I can’t dip into more reserves to do this debate. I wanted it so much for our students. I hate this decision. It hurts my heart.” > [](https://twitter.com/PresidentDHOP/status/755468298465280000) > [](https://twitter.com/PresidentDHOP/status/755468211831857152) The event will move to Hofstra University in New York on Long Island, according to a [statement](http://www.debates.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=61&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01detailtemplate=newspage&cntnt01returnid=80) from the Commission on Presidential Debates. Hofstra last hosted a presidential debate in 2012, the commission said. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4413389/wright-state-university-presidential-debate/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4413389/wright-state-university-presidential-debate/"},"headline":"Wright State University Withdraws From Hosting Presidential Debate","datePublished":"2016-07-19T18:34:47.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-14T23:25:09.000Z","description":"Citing mounting costs and security concerns","url":"https://time.com/4413389/wright-state-university-presidential-debate/","keywords":["debate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d5be5d5fd41dbdb/69889c8d196cf49e8503c759/wright-state-debate.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Chan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d5be5d5fd41dbdb/69889c8d196cf49e8503c759/wright-state-debate.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mark Emmert","caption":"Wright State University president David R. 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