NCAA Tournament 2024

Where is Oakland University? What to know about NCAA tournament's new Cinderella

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 21: [EDITORS NOTE: Aletrnate crop of 2102951407] Jack Gohlke #3 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies celebrates after making a three pointer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 21, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Oakland University stunned the basketball world on Thursday night when they took down No. 3 seed Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Buoyed by 10 three pointers from Jack Gohlke, one shy of the NCAA tournament record, the Golden Grizzlies upset the heavily-favored Wildcats 80-76 in South region action, sending shockwaves through the college hoops world.

It’s understandable then that fans would assume that Oakland would be located in the California city of the same name, but that is actually not the case.

The public school is actually located in Rochester, Michigan and opened in 1957 according to its website.

According to the school, their current enrollment is 15,922, with nearly 13,000 undergraduate students and 3,200 graduate students.

The school is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA tournament. They defeated Alabama A&M in an opening round game in 2005 before losing to top-seeded North Carolina in the first round. They were bounced in the first round by Pittsburgh and Texas in 2010 and 2011.

The Golden Grizzlies will next take the floor on Saturday when they face the winner of Thursday’s Texas Tech vs. North Carolina State contest.

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