Wright State University has pulled out of hosting the the first presidential debate, scheduled for Sept. 26.
University President David Hopkins cited escalating security costs and a failure to raise enough money to cover the cost to host the event as reasons it would no longer be involved in the event, according to an announcement he released Tuesday. The debate will be held instead at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.
According to Hopkins, the public research university located in Dayton, Ohio, was unable to get the roughly $8 million it would cost to host the debate. So far, the university had raised only $3.5 million from contributions, state funding and in-kind pledges.
The school is also trying to reduce its budget deficit.
“I can’t dip into more reserves to do this debate,” Hopkins said. “I’m not going to do this when we’re in remediation.”
Hopkins added that he was also motivated to withdraw from the debate in part due to security concern following the recent Nice, France, terror attack.
Wright State was chosen as one of four host universities to host a general election debate. Sixteen schools applied to host.
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced in September that Wright State’s Nutter Center would host the first debate on Sept. 26. Longwood University in Farmville, Va., will host the vice presidential debate Oct. 4.
The final two presidential debates will be at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9 and the University of Nevada on Oct. 19.
