Fall 2026
Dear Pirate Nation,
As we prepare to tip off another season of Seton Hall men’s and women’s basketball, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to the alumni, friends and fans who make this place so special.
Your support of our athletics department and basketball programs is something we never take for granted.
You buy tickets. You make gifts. You travel to games. You wear the pirate blue. You bring your families and friends to the Prudential Center and Walsh Gymnasium. You follow our teams, celebrate our victories and stand with our student-athletes through the inevitable challenges of a long season.
And in today's college athletics environment, we know we are asking a lot of you.
I feel like a broken record when I say this, but the landscape has changed dramatically in this environment. Ticket prices and the cost of attending games continue to increase. We ask you to renew your season tickets, purchase additional tickets, attend our fundraising events and make gifts to Pirate Blue. And now, revenue sharing requires more attention and support as it is the core factor in building and sustaining competitive basketball programs at the highest level.
In addition, roster continuity is no longer something we can take for granted. Players can transfer, new players arrive, and the roster you watched develop one season may look very different the next. We understand that can make it harder to form the same immediate connection with a team — particularly when you don't always know who will be wearing the uniform from one year to the next.
But there is something I hope we never lose sight of:
You are not just cheering for a roster. You are cheering for Seton Hall. The names and faces may change, but the name on the front of the uniform and the tradition and history behind it do not.
And the responsibility we have to develop young people who represent this University with pride does not change.
That is what makes Seton Hall basketball special.
Our history is filled with student-athletes and coaches who have left an indelible mark on this University and on college basketball. Generations of Pirates have created memories that have become part of the fabric of Seton Hall.
We want today's student-athletes to become part of that same tradition. Like the Pirates who came before them, we want them to grow as students, teammates, leaders and members of the Seton Hall community, prepared to make a difference in the world when they graduate. And we want them to look back years from now as alumni and know that their time at Seton Hall helped shape who they became.
Yes, we want to win. We want to compete for championships. We want to play in March Madness. We want our men's and women's programs to be among the best in the country.
That is the foundation of Seton Hall basketball, and it will not change regardless of how much the college athletics landscape around us does. It’s a challenge in this new environment, but one we are working hard to overcome.
With the help of our loyal alumni, fans and friends we increased Pirate Blue fundraising last year by 24%, and we increased our corporate partnership dollars by 55%. Those are significant increases, and they are a testament to the belief that our alumni, fans, friends and partners have in Seton Hall and in the future of our basketball programs.
That growth is making a difference. It is helping us navigate this new era of college athletics and, importantly, helping us meet our responsibilities around revenue sharing and provide our student-athletes with the resources and opportunities to be successful.
We are grateful for it — and we are encouraged by the way our community continues to respond. One of the clearest signs of that dedication is the impressive 92% renewal rate of season tickets for this upcoming season. That number says a great deal about the loyalty of our fans and their belief in Seton Hall basketball. Plus, our new season ticket sales have been robust and ahead of recent years’ new sales, helping us add to our great season ticket holder base.
So, as we get set to embark on another season and what will eventually be another off-season when we will need to increase our resources and efforts to retain our best and brightest student athletes, I am once again asking something from you: we need your help to continue building and strengthening the culture and environment that makes Seton Hall basketball unique.
In today's college basketball landscape, resources matter. Revenue sharing matters. Facilities matter. But culture matters, too. Student-athletes want to be part of programs where they feel connected, supported and valued. They want to play in front of passionate fans. They want to experience meaningful traditions. They want to feel the energy of a community that embraces them and takes pride in representing something bigger than themselves.
Every ticket purchased, every game attended, every donation made and every voice cheering from the stands contributes to the culture that defines Seton Hall basketball. We create a place that student-athletes want to call home. We create a place they are proud to represent.
That is why your support matters so much.
So this season, I ask you to do more than support our teams. Help us build the environment that makes Seton Hall basketball special.
Bring your family. Bring your classmates. Bring a friend who hasn't been to a game in years. Make some noise. Wear your pirate blue. Stay engaged. Let our student-athletes know that when they step onto that court, they represent a community that believes in them.
The faces may change. The college athletics landscape may continue to evolve. There will undoubtedly be more challenges and more change ahead, but Pirate Pride will always remain. Our tradition, our history and our commitment to our student-athletes will always remain.
Thank you for believing in Seton Hall basketball. Thank you for investing in our young people. Thank you for continuing to show up.
Now, let's show our teams what it means to play for the Pirates.
Go Pirates!
Bryan Felt ’97, M.A. ’05
Director of Athletics and Recreation
