The Atlantic 10 Conference is once again proving it can hold its own on the national basketball stage — and for local fans, George Mason is right in the middle of the action.
The A-10 placed 14 teams into postseason play this year — seven men’s teams and seven women’s teams — spread across the NCAA Tournament, NIT, WBIT and WNIT. Four teams earned coveted NCAA Tournament bids, while another ten will continue their seasons in other national postseason events.
For Mason supporters in Northern Virginia, the spotlight shines especially bright in Fairfax, where the Patriots’ men’s team will host an NIT matchup Tuesday night, while the women’s team also earned a postseason bid after one of the strongest seasons in program history.
Mason Men Host NIT Game in Fairfax
George Mason opens its NIT run Tuesday night at EagleBank Arena against Liberty, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. and national coverage on ESPN2.
It marks Mason’s sixth appearance in the National Invitation Tournament and the second straight postseason trip for the Patriots. The program hasn’t strung together back-to-back postseason appearances since the 2007-09 seasons, making this a significant step forward for the Green and Gold.
Last year Mason won its first NIT game since 2004, advancing to the second round. A home game this time around gives the Patriots a chance to build on that momentum in front of a local crowd.
Historic Year for Mason Women
The George Mason women’s team is also headed to postseason play, earning a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) after a remarkable season.
The Patriots finished with a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and set a program record with 16 conference wins, advancing all the way to the A-10 Championship game before falling to Rhode Island.
Mason, seeded No. 3 in the WBIT, will host Quinnipiac on Thursday night in Fairfax, giving the Patriots another home opportunity to extend a historic season.
A-10 Still a Multi-Bid League
Across the conference, the Atlantic 10 continues to show national depth.
On the men’s side, Saint Louis and VCU earned NCAA Tournament invitations, marking the 18th time in the last 20 years the A-10 has placed multiple teams in the Big Dance.
VCU, the conference tournament champion, enters the NCAA field 27-7 and riding a 16-of-17 winning streak, drawing North Carolina in the first round.
Saint Louis heads into March Madness with 28 wins — tying the program record — and will face Georgia as a No. 9 seed.
Women’s NCAA Teams
The Atlantic 10 also placed two women’s teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Conference champion Rhode Island, which defeated George Mason on the way to the title, will face Alabama as a No. 11 seed. Richmond also earned a No. 11 seed and will play Nebraska in the First Four after posting its fourth consecutive 20-win season.
Deep Postseason Presence
Beyond the NCAA Tournament, the A-10 filled out the rest of the postseason brackets:
NIT (Men)
George Mason
Davidson
Dayton
George Washington
Saint Joseph’s
WBIT (Women)
George Mason
WNIT (Women)
George Washington
La Salle
Loyola Chicago
St. Bonaventure
Fairfax Becomes a Postseason Hub
For Northern Virginia basketball fans, the big story is simple: postseason basketball is back in Fairfax — and possibly for more than one night.
With Mason’s men hosting Liberty Tuesday and the women hosting Quinnipiac Thursday, EagleBank Arena could become one of the Atlantic 10’s busiest postseason venues this week.
