Long Island isn’t considered a hotbed for college sports, but the Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team has long been the exception to that. Last-minute Hofstra basketball tickets are usually in high demand because there aren’t many other places on the island where people can see high-level athletic events. With the Pride emerging as one of the top programs in the Colonial Athletic Association in recent years, it’s now harder than ever for fans to get their hands on cheap Hofstra basketball tickets.

The Spectacular 70s

Hofstra basketball emerged as a Division II powerhouse in the 1960s and then experienced a healthy period of success at the Division I level in the 1970s. The Pride played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 1976, losing a heartbreaker in overtime to UConn. Hofstra returned to the Big Dance the following year after winning its first regular-season conference title in program history.

Worth the Wait

Unfortunately, Hofstra would have to wait until 2000 to return to the NCAA Tournament again despite winning a few regular-season conference titles along the way. By the turn of the century, the Pride had become something of a powerhouse in the America East, only to move to the Colonial Athletic Association following back-to-back conference titles in 2000 and 2001. It’s taken a little time, but head coach Joe Mihalich has made Hofstra a powerhouse in the Colonial.

The Pride won the CAA regular-season title in 2016, 2019, and 2020. In 2020, the Pride won the CAA Tournament and were set to snap their 19-year NCAA Tournament drought before the tournament was canceled. However, there is little doubt that the Pride will have more opportunities to play in the Big Dance in the years to come, as they are firmly entrenched among the upper-echelon of the Colonial, one of the best mid-major conferences in the country.