Come hear us ROAR!

Kate and Willie became the Hofstra University mascots in the late 1980's. In 1987, the university developed image campaign called "The Pride" representing it's growth and prosperity. The name "The Pride" adapted as the schools official team name in 2004 which referred to the team mascots.

The two lion mascots, Kate and Willie, were named after the founders of Hofstra University, Kate and William Hofstra. The unofficial nickname "The Flying Dutchman" was given to Hofstra University as a result of it's enriched Dutch history that the campus has.

Kate and Willie are very fun and energetic characters that bring excitement and optimism to every event they attend. At the Hofstra basketball games, they always do their best to get the crowd "ROARING" and cheering for the Pride. They also do their best to make their way into the crowd and interact with the fans. They dance around the court when the game has a timeout or at halftime as well as t-shirt tosses and free giveaways.If your sitting in the stands, you can be sure that the Hofstra Pride mascots will be putting a smile on your face.