Hofstra
Traveling – A College Basketball Journey – Game 27
Home Team: Hofstra Pride
Away Team: Princeton Tigers
Final Score: Princeton def. Hofstra, 74-67
Venue: David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, Hempstead, NY
Date: November 10, 2023
Time: 7:00 P.M.
It has been a year and a half since I last set foot in a college basketball arena. Due to some personal reasons I took a hiatus and I would just like to shoutout everyone at The Low Major for being so gracious and allowing me to hop right back in where I left off! Also of note, I last wrote for Game 23 at Marist. This is Game 27. I will be putting together a combined article for the three I never wrote about - Howard, NJIT, and the now defunct Terriers of St. Francis Brooklyn.
On paper, as the crow flies at 24 miles, the journey to Hempstead, NY from my residence in Stamford, CT seems like it would be a quick drive. However, when factored with having to drive around the Long Island Sound and rush hour traffic in NYC, it took about an hour and half. Perhaps one day the proposed bridge or tunnel to link Long Island to CT will come to fruition. That being said, when I saw the Nassau Coliseum, former home of the Islanders, I knew I was close.
Photo Courtesy of I Love NY
The David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, or the “Mack” as it is referred to, is located on Hofstra’s campus across the street from the Nassau Coliseum. I’m not going to lie, there is a bit of stigma that comes with seeing a game in NY, possibly bolstered by the $14 in tolls it took to get to Hempstead, but I thought I was going to be paying for parking. I was delighted to learn it is free.
The outside of the complex building is on par with many multi-use campus arenas and the large grey brick building is unassuming. A unique feature is the thick glass cube windows that line the bottom corners of the top sections of the outside walls. These small windows are able to be seen from the inside of the arena. While the effect of these were moot for the night game, I appreciated the attempt at natural light I have not yet seen.
Notice the windows at the bottom of the top section of the walls
The front of the building is lit well, with glass windows not only looking into the lobby, but a second level that looks to include the entrances to the suites and possibly some offices. The ticket counter is directly inside and at the center of the symmetrical lobby. I appreciated the will-call option, which was not always an option when visiting arenas when games resumed right after Covid lockdown ended. There is something so satisfying about a physical ticket. To the right side of the ticket booth is a merchandise counter, although it was closed. To the left is “The Pride Grille,” which sells the regular assortment of chicken tenders, hot dogs, and soft pretzels. There are entrances to the arena on both ends.
The front entrance of The “Mack”
Immediately inside the left entrance I was surprised to see a makeshift fenced in 21+ area where beers were being sold. The inside of the arena is very roomy, which I did not necessarily expect based on the outside. Despite it being multi-use, it really does feel like an actual basketball arena, which cannot be said for a lot of the smaller conference schools. Actual seating lines all 4 sides of the arena. Not even the student section on the left hand side has any bleachers.
Over the closer side of the arena, there are 6 suites over the upper section of seats, where I sat. On the right hand side of the arena, another closed off standing section exists, named “The Pride Club.” Also on that side of the arena were a bounce house for kids and a small merchandise tent. Banners for their fellow CAA conference members line the left and right hand sides, while the men and women’s NCAA and NIT accolade banners line the far side. Also on the far side are retired jersey numbers, including #10 of current head coach Speedy Claxton. Debate banners are also on the right hand side of the arena, which I can say are the first Debate banners I’ve seen.
View from my seat
Overall, the arena feels modern. Investing in modern video boards is crucial for smaller programs to do. The 4 on each corner in the arena just make the environment feel fresh. Hofstra really succeeded in making an older building feel new on the inside. In addition to the inside of the arena feeling new, the environment was fantastic. The arena was packed, with most of the empty seats being in the upper student section. Dedicated fans were loud and they had someone leading events during timeouts such as layup challenges and “Speedy” Says for students and fans to win merchandise and gift cards. While the home team lost, the game was closely contested between two great teams and a fantastic one for my first game back.
A full view of the arena
Team Conference and State Statistics
This is the first current CAA team I have seen home or away. I saw James Madison at Fordham before they moved to the Sun Belt though.
This is the 9th current* D1 program I’ve seen at home in New York and 10th overall. St. Francis Brooklyn causes the asterisk. Overall, they are the 13th current* D1 program from New York I’ve seen, home or away.
Princeton becomes the first team I have seen 3 times, all away.
Free parking!!!