George Mason men’s basketball will play a record 12 of its 18 Atlantic 10 games on national television this season, highlighted by a Friday night home showdown against VCU on the ESPN family of networks.
The Atlantic 10 announced its 2026-27 conference schedule Tuesday, giving the Patriots their largest national television slate in program history. Mason appeared in a then-record 10 nationally televised conference games last season.
The biggest date for Northern Virginia fans comes late in the season, when VCU visits EagleBank Arena on Friday, Feb. 26. The rivalry matchup will air nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU as part of the Atlantic 10’s Friday Night Showcase, putting Mason’s home court in the national spotlight for a primetime Friday night game.
George Mason and VCU will meet twice during the regular season. Before the Rams come to Fairfax, the Patriots will travel down I-95 to Richmond for a Wednesday, Jan. 27 matchup at the Siegel Center that will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
The expanded television schedule comes as George Mason continues a strong run under head coach Tony Skinn, who played for the Patriots during their historic 2006 Final Four season.
Mason has been particularly difficult to beat at EagleBank Arena during Skinn’s tenure, posting a 22-5 record in Atlantic 10 home games. The Patriots averaged 5,214 fans during A-10 home games last season, the program’s highest conference home attendance average since 2013-14.
The Patriots will have another nationally televised rivalry game at home when George Washington visits Fairfax Saturday, Feb. 6. That game will also air on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.
George Mason opens Atlantic 10 play at home Wednesday, Dec. 30 against Richmond before traveling to Rhode Island Jan. 2 for a nationally televised game on USA Network. Mason hosts Fordham Jan. 6 and then travels to Saint Joseph’s Jan. 9 for another USA Network broadcast.
St. Bonaventure comes to Fairfax Jan. 13 before Mason heads across the Potomac for its annual Martin Luther King Jr. matchup against George Washington Jan. 18 in Foggy Bottom. That game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
The Patriots return home Jan. 23 to face Loyola Chicago on USA Network before heading to Richmond four days later for the first meeting with VCU.
Saint Joseph’s visits EagleBank Arena Jan. 30 for another nationally televised Saturday game on USA Network, followed by a Feb. 3 road game at St. Bonaventure.
The schedule then moves into a February stretch packed with rivalry games and national broadcasts. George Washington comes to Fairfax Feb. 6 for the ESPN matchup before Mason travels to Davidson Feb. 13 for a game on USA Network.
After hosting La Salle Feb. 17, the Patriots play back-to-back nationally televised road games at Duquesne Feb. 20 on USA Network and Dayton Feb. 23 on CBS Sports Network.
Three nights later, VCU comes to Fairfax for the Friday night national showcase, giving Mason one of the marquee home dates on its 2026-27 schedule.
Following the Feb. 26 game against the Rams, Mason hosts Rhode Island March 3 for Senior Night before wrapping up the regular season March 6 at 2026 Atlantic 10 champion Saint Louis on USA Network.
The 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship will be held March 10-14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Before conference play begins, Mason will play a home-heavy nonconference schedule that starts with an exhibition at Villanova Oct. 17. The Patriots host St. Mary’s (Md.) in an exhibition Oct. 25 before opening the regular season at EagleBank Arena against UMBC Nov. 2.
Other nonconference home opponents include Coppin State, North Carolina Central, South Florida, Longwood, Marist, Morgan State, Old Dominion, Bryant and McDaniel College. Mason will also play UMKC and Bradley in St. Petersburg, Fla., travel to High Point and face Towson in Baltimore.
George Mason enters the season led by 2025 A-10 Coach of the Year Tony Skinn, who has guided the Patriots to 70 wins over the past three seasons. Mason is one of just three A-10 programs to post a top-100 NET ranking in each of those seasons and has made back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since 2007-09.
The Patriots return Brayden O’Connor, a 2025-26 Preseason All-A-10 First Team selection, along with key contributors Emmanuel Kanga and Malik Presley. Mason’s nationally ranked transfer class features Baraka Okojie, who earned A-10 All-Rookie honors as a freshman at Mason before garnering First Team All-SoCon honors at Mercer last season.
The incoming freshman class also includes Upper Marlboro, Md., native Shane Pendergrass, the second-highest ranked recruit in program history.
With 12 of its 18 conference games scheduled for national television, George Mason will have more national exposure than ever during the 2026-27 Atlantic 10 season. The spotlight will shine particularly bright in Fairfax on Friday night, Feb. 26, when VCU comes to EagleBank Arena for a nationally televised rivalry matchup on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.
