Hempstead, NY - The 2025-26 Hofstra men's basketball schedule continues to take shape as the Pride will spend Thanksgiving weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, competing in the fourth annual Cathedral Classic. The four-team event, hosted by Penn, will take place at The Palestra, the historic arena often called the "Cathedral of College Basketball". In addition to Hofstra and Penn, La Salle and Merrimack round out the tournament field.
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The four teams will play a round-robin schedule over the weekend with doubleheaders starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28; 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29; and noon on Sunday, Nov. 30. Broadcast and ticket information will be available at a later date.
Hofstra will open the Cathedral Classic with a 2 p.m. tip against the Explorers of La Salle, which features three former members of the Hofstra men's basketball coaching staff - Joe Mihalich, Colin Curtin, and Shane Nichols. This will be the 22nd meeting between Hofstra and La Salle. The Pride won the last meeting, 84-80, on December 2, 2015 in Philadelphia.
The Pride will face Merrimack in their second game, at 2 p.m. on Saturday. This will be the third all-time meeting between the two teams, but the first since the 1977-78 season.Â
Hofstra concludes the Cathedral Classic Sunday with a 2:30 p.m. contest against the host Quakers. This will also be the third meeting between the teams and the first since December 27, 1998, when Hofstra picked up a 67-62 victory to claim the ECAC Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. Â
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2025 Cathedral Classic Schedule
Friday, Nov. 28
La Salle vs. Hofstra, 2 p.m.
Penn vs. Merrimack, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 29
Hofstra vs. Merrimack, 2 p.m.
Penn vs. La Salle, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30
La Salle vs. Merrimack, noon
Penn vs. Hofstra, 2:30 p.m.
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