| George Mason Patriots | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | George Mason University |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference (primary) Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (men) Mid-American Conference (wrestling) |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Marvin Lewis |
| Location | Fairfax,Virginia |
| Varsity teams | 22 |
| Basketball arena | EagleBank Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Spuhler Field |
| Soccer stadium | George Mason Stadium |
| Lacrosse stadium | George Mason Stadium |
| Mascot | The Patriot |
| Nickname | Patriots |
| Fight song | Onward to Victory |
| Colors | Green and gold[1] |
| Website | gomason |
 | |
TheGeorge Mason Patriots are theintercollegiate athletic teams representingGeorge Mason University (GMU), located inFairfax, Virginia. The Patriots compete inDivision I of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of theAtlantic 10 Conference for most sports.
The Patriots began to move fromNAIA andNCAA Division II status into theNCAA Division I ranks with men'sbasketball in the 1978–1979 season. According to theHistory of George Mason basketball, both the men's and women's basketball program have been fixtures of campus life. Within a few years, all other sports also were elevated to Division I status. George Mason reached its current level of 20 varsity sports with the addition ofwomen's lacrosse (1993–1994), women'srowing (1997–1998) and men's and women'sswimming &diving (1999–2000). In addition, George Mason has fielded a varsity club football team since 1993 that competes intercollegiately. Their opponents range from other club teams toNCAA Division I FCS programs. GMU was a founding member of theCAA but joined the Atlantic 10 in 2013.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Lacrosse |
| Golf | Rowing |
| Soccer | Soccer |
| Swimming and diving | Softball |
| Tennis | Swimming and diving |
| Track and field† | Tennis |
| Volleyball | Track and field† |
| Wrestling | Volleyball |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
While many of the schoolʼs athletic programs have had historical seasons, the men's basketball program remains the flagship sport at the university. The menʼs basketball team has played at thePatriot Center since 1985 after playing prior seasons in the PE Building on the west side of the Fairfax Campus. The menʼs basketball team has made theNCAA tournament six times (1989,1999,2001,2006,2008, and2011) and theNIT tournament five times (1986, 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2025). The Patriot basketball team is most famous for its 2006 NCAA run to the Final Four. GMU beat perennial powersUNC,Connecticut, andMichigan State, as well as a highly rankedWichita State team, before losing to eventual National ChampionFlorida in the Final Four.
The programʼs largest rivals include conference foesGeorge Washington andVirginia Commonwealth. New rivalries are forming via George Masonʼs admission to the A-10.
The best-known player in Patriots history isGeorge Evans, a Gulf War veteran who played from 1997 to 2001 and was a CAA player of year three consecutive seasons. He shares the CAA record withNBA legendDavid Robinson for winning the award three straight times. Other Patriot standouts includeAndre Gaddy,Carlos Yates,Kenny Sanders,Curtis McCants,Nate Langley,Robert Dykes,Robert Rose,Jason Miskiri,Jai Lewis,Lamar Butler,Tony Skinn,Gabe Norwood,Folarin Campbell, andWill Thomas.
Men's soccer was one of the first varsity sports to be offered when the then George Mason College began its athletic program in the late 1960s. Since then, it has become one of the most successful programs among the 22 NCAA Division I sports currently offered. In the 39-year history of George Mason soccer, the program has a record of 377-264-76 for a winning percentage of .579. The Patriots have posted at least 10 victories in 23 of those seasons,including 14 in a row from 1980 to 1993, and they have finished a season nationally ranked nine times (1981, '82, '84, '85, '87, '88, '90, '92 and '96) in the last 24 years. AtGeorge Mason Stadium, the team's 5,000-seat home field which opened for the 1982 season, the Patriots have a record of 140-61-26 (.674 winning percentage). The men's team has reached theNCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship eight times (1985, '86, '87, '89, '90, '96,2006 and2008). Notable former players includeJoe Addo,Denis Hamlett,Ritchie Kotschau,Bob Lilley,Tamir Linhart,Anthony Noreiga,John O'Hara,Mark Pulisic,Conor Shanosky,John Borrajo,Irad Young,Taylor Washington, andBrent Brockman.
George Mason won the A-10 conference championship their first year in the league (2013).
Women's soccer has been perhaps the most successful program at George Mason University. The Patriots have reached theNCAA Division 1 Women's Soccer Championship twelve times and the College Cup four times (1983, '85, '86, '93), in1983 they reached the final but would lose 4–0 toNorth Carolina.[2] Under Coach Hank Leung, the Patriots would again reach the final in the1985 tournament, on Nov. 24, in front of a record-crowd of 4,500 people at George Mason Stadium and millions on national television on an ESPN broadcast, No. 3 George Mason would beat No. 2 North Carolina 2–0 to win the school's first ever National Championship in their history.[3] GMU playersPam Baughman andBetsy Drambour won theMost Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player awards respectively while another GMU player,Lisa Gmitter, being the tournament's top scorer with 3 goals.
TheGeorge Mason Patriots swimming and diving program represents George Mason in the aquatics sports ofswimming anddiving. The program includes separate men's and women's teams, both of which compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).
The George Mason swim & dive men's team has won the Atlantic 10 championship once, winning the title in 2020.[4][5]
The George Mason swim & dive women's team has never won an Atlantic 10 championship.[6] The women's team won theCoastal Athletic Association championship in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.[7]
Records as of Sept. 1, 2023:[8]
Records as of Sept. 1, 2023:[9]
In addition to its NCAA Division I sports, George Mason fields club teams in the following sports:[10]
The Patriots have won 2 NCAA team championships, 23 George Mason student-athletes have claimed 35 individual national championships, and 13 George Mason teams have made more than 117 NCAA postseason appearances since the school opened.
Men's
| Women's
|
Men's | Women's
|
Mason athletes have captured 280 individual CAA championships, with 47 team CAA titles.
Men's
[*These titles are shared with American University]
| Women's
|
Mason has captured 20 team A-10 championships.
Men's
Swimming and Diving (1) 2020 [*Regular Season Title] | Women's
|
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