Welcome to the Hofstra Family Spotlight. Our goal is to showcase our Hofstra family members, including our loyal corporate partners and season ticket holders, to let the Hofstra community learn more about them and how they support the Pride athletics program.

For Matt Schwartzberg, Hofstra basketball is family.

Matt has been a part of the Hofstra family for 27 years. He started his undergraduate career at the University in 1989, earning a degree in business management in 1993. Matt currently resides in Rockville Centre, New York, and holds the title of chief executive officer at Steinway Moving and Storage, which is also a great partner of the Hofstra Department of Athletics.

Between being an alumni of Hofstra and loving the game of basketball, Matt quickly became a loyal fan of the program. What made Hofstra basketball so special for Matt was his family and friends being a part of that. Matt's mom, Diane, worked in career services at Hofstra's Maurice A. Deane School of Law for 30 years. He met his now wife, Ann, when they were both juniors at Hofstra. Matt is very appreciative of how he got the opportunity to go to school with his brother, Michael. "We both grew up going to my mom's office as children. Spending time at the University, going to school together with your brother, and sharing mutual friends, was a very powerful experience."

Maybe Matt's favorite part of his time associated with Hofstra was watching his best friend, Steve Kiernan, suit up for the Pride. Kiernan, also a Hofstra men's basketball season ticket holder, played from 1990 to 1993. Matt will always cherish and remember cheering on his best friend. To no surprise, Steve is Matt's favorite all-time Hofstra player. Matt and Steve both coach the St. Agnes of Rockville Centre CYO youth team, where both of their sons play. "We are coaching our son's CYO team at St. Agnes and we have a lifelong friendship because of Hofstra. We actually use some of the same Hofstra offensive sets, from when Steve played there, in our offense. Our kids will always remember being able to play on Hofstra's court at halftime. It was a memorable moment." 

Not too long after Matt graduated, came his favorite Hofstra men's basketball game that he has been to - when Hofstra claimed the America East title in 2000. At a packed David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, Hofstra defeated Delaware, 76-69, and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Matt was particularly impressed with Head Coach Jay Wright, and standout guard Speedy Claxton during that championship game.  

Matt points to family as why Hofstra is so special to him. "The family theme here is powerful," he said. "The University has been such a positive part of my life. Personal relationships are everything to me and there is no better place to make those relationships than here at Hofstra." As a season ticket holder, Matt appreciates the opportunities being one gives him and his family. "As a season ticket holder, being able to go enjoy the games with my kids, is what is most important to me," he explained. "They love going and watching Hofstra basketball, just like I did when I was a kid. The shared experiences, between my mom working there, meeting my wife, watching a close friend play, going to school with my brother, and now, sharing this experience with my own kids, is something I will always be thankful for." 

 Hofstra Athletics is proud to have Matt Schwartzberg as part of our family. The success of our student-athletes, and the University in general, are not possible without the incredible support of our entire family.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Hofstra Family, please find the pertinent contact information below:
Corporate Partnerships - Chrissy Arnone - christina.arnone@hofstra.edu
Season Ticket Holder - Michael Neely - michael.p.neely@hofstra.edu
Hofstra Athletics Pride Club Member - Bryan Graff - bryan.graff@hofstra.edu