Hofstra University is in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island, and the Pride are Alabama’s first-round opponent in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Hofstra’s official university profile lists total fall 2024 enrollment at 10,543, and the school’s admissions page says it offers admission to 68% of applicants.
Readers searching “Where is Hofstra?” are usually trying to place a school they recognize by name but cannot quite map in the moment. Hofstra is not just in New York somewhere; it is a Long Island school making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 25 years under Speedy Claxton, which gives the story a clear why-now angle.
Where is Hofstra University?
Hofstra is in Hempstead on Long Island, just east of New York City. “Long Island” is the quickest and most useful frame for a national audience, while “Hempstead” is the precise answer.
Hofstra enrollment and acceptance rate
Hofstra reported 10,543 total students in fall 2024, including more than 6,500 undergraduates. Its admissions page says the university offers admission to 68% of applicants. Those two details matter because they place Hofstra in the sweet spot for this format: big enough to feel like a substantial institution, but still specific enough in identity that casual readers need help placing it when the bracket pops.
How did Hofstra make the tournament?
Hofstra earned the CAA automatic bid by beating Monmouth in the conference title game, and the Pride arrived at the NCAA Tournament riding a seven-game winning streak. Hofstra did not just show up. The Pride won the CAA and got hot at the right time.
Has Hofstra ever won an NCAA tournament game?
No. Hofstra entered this tournament 0-4 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. According to the school’s game preview: “Hofstra made the NCAA Tournament in 1976 and 1977 out of the East Coast Conference and then again in 2000 and 2001 as America East Champions. Pride Head Coach Speedy Claxton was a member of the 2000 NCAA Team. Hofstra also earned a NCAA bid in 2020 before the Championship was canceled due to the pandemic.”
That gives the game a little extra juice: this is a program returning to March after a long wait and still looking for its first NCAA Tournament win.
Hofstra stats and top scorers
The Pride have enough guard play to feel live for stretches. Cruz Davis leads the team with 20.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and Preston Edmead gives Hofstra another strong backcourt scorer. Edmead scores 15.9 point per game, and adds another 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Hofstra also entered the tournament with one of the better two-point defenses in the country and shot 37.2% from three in CAA play. That is the formula for staying close to Alabama: let Davis control tempo, make enough perimeter shots, and keep the game from turning into a second-chance-possession avalanche for the SEC team.
Prediction: Can Hofstra upset Alabama?
Hofstra is the kind of 13 seed that at least forces a favorite to play a real game, especially with lead-guard scoring and a team identity that is not easy to dismiss. But the cleaner prediction is still the favorite. Prediction: Alabama 84, Hofstra 72. Hofstra looks competitive enough to make Alabama work; a full upset still would be a surprise.
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