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The run that changed a program: George Mason marks the 20th anniversary of its 2006 Final Four appearance

Katarina Benson — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:47:55 +0000

The run that changed a program: George Mason marks the 20th anniversary of its 2006 Final Four appearance Katarina Benson Wed, 12/10/2025 - 15:47

The 2006 Final Four run by the �� men’s basketball team was an achievement so improbable, so unprecedented, that it transformed how the college basketball world viewed possibility itself.

Photo by George Mason Athletics

Now, 20 years later, the Patriots will honor that magical postseason journey on Saturday, December 13, when they host Old Dominion University at EagleBank Arena. That run endures as one of the most defining moments in the university’s history and one of the NCAA Tournament’s most memorable Cinderella stories. What began as a hopeful March ended with a mid-major program standing on college basketball’s biggest stage.

They captured the hearts of the nation along the way.

“That definitely opened the door for mid-majors,” said George Mason men’s basketball Head Coach Tony Skinn, who was the starting point guard on that Final Four team. “It showed that if you have belief, the right players, and the right coaches, anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament.”

That belief was tested again and again throughout that 2006 run.

Competing out of the relatively unknown Colonial Athletic Association, the Patriots became the league’s first Final Four representative, toppling one powerhouse after another.

They opened tournament play with a 75-65 win over a Michigan State, a team that had returned four starters from the previous season’s Final Four squad. The sixth-seeded Spartans had outlasted George Mason by six points in an early regular-season meeting a year earlier.

Lamar Butler signing copies of Sports Illustrated at the Bookstore. Photo by Office of University Branding

Next came the North Carolina Tar Heels, the No. 3 seed and the reigning NCAA champions, who fell 65-60 in the Patriots’ second and final game in Dayton, Ohio. From there, George Mason returned to the nearby Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., where a heavily partisan crowd watched four Patriots score in double figures in a 63-55 Sweet 16 win over fellow mid-major and No. 7 overall seed Wichita State University. That victory advanced the Patriots to the Elite Eight against overall No. 1 seed University of Connecticut.

Loaded with talent, the Huskies featured four players who would soon be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, and five who would be among the league’s top 40 picks. They were also led by Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun.

Fueled by a massive and vocal Mason Nation presence, the Patriots embraced the underdog role against UConn. After trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half and nine in the second, George Mason rallied to shock the sports world with an 86-84 overtime win—one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history —punctuating the victory with a trip to the Final Four in Indianapolis.

“It was great for college basketball,” said Lamar Butler, a former standout senior guard on that Final Four team who now serves as George Mason’s director of player development. “That’s what people watch the tournament for.”

Final Four watch party in the Johnson Center. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

In the years since, Virginia Commonwealth University (2011), Loyola Chicago (2018), UCLA (2021), and North Carolina State (2024) have also reached the Final Four as 11th seeds. LSU was the first to accomplish the feat in 1986.

“We believed in ourselves,” said Jim Larrañaga who serves as head coach at George Mason from 1997 to 2011. “We weren’t hoping to win. We believed we would win.”

More than 10,000 fans packed what was then the Patriot Center when the team returned home following its dramatic win over UConn.

Before the tournament, George Mason was largely unknown beyond the Mid-Atlantic region. That changed almost overnight. The team’s improbable run generated an estimated $677.5 million in free publicity from print and broadcast exposure, according to a study conducted by Robert Baker, former interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development and Professor Emeritus of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

The university also reported an 800% increase in traffic to its official website, while the university bookstore in the Johnson Center—typically averaging $11,000 in weekly sales—made shy of $1 million in the 10 days leading up to the Final Four. University admission inquiries increased by 350%, with out-of-state applications rising by 40%.

Butler still recalls when he playing overseas several months later, walking through a town in Croatia wearing a George Mason shirt, and a local boy approached him.

“George Mason–Final Four!” the boy exclaimed, much to Butler’s astonishment.

This weekend’s remembrance festivities will include the return of most members of the 2006 team, and the raising of a banner in EagleBank Arena in honor of the now-retired Larrañaga.

“It was one of those moments that, when you experience it, it never really leaves your mindset,” Skinn said. “To think that it was 20 years ago is unbelievable, but having a day to celebrate it is definitely exciting.”

This weekend, that memory returns to life as a new generation of Patriots gathers to celebrate the run that changed everything.

Learn about the Anniversary Event

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Mason Madness kicks off basketball season

Colleen Rich — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 21:46:36 +0000

Mason Madness kicks off basketball season Colleen Rich Wed, 10/19/2022 - 17:46

Photo by Mason Athletics

On Friday, October 14, in EagleBank Arena, �� Athletics officially kicked-off men's and women's basketball season. Mason fans, including Mason families who were on campus for Family Weekend, were introduced to student-athletes from each team and heard from men's basketball Head Coach Kim English and women's basketball Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis. Each team also took part in a scrimmage on the EagleBank Arena floor. The event included performances from the Green Machine and a variety of student organizations.

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Mason men’s and women’s basketball schedules announced

Melanie Balog — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 19:46:09 +0000

Mason men’s and women’s basketball schedules announced Melanie Balog Wed, 09/22/2021 - 15:46

Mason's women's basketball team opens its season at Florida International on Nov. 9. Photo by Rafael Suanes

��’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, led by head coaches Kim English and Vanessa Blair-Lewis, respectively, have announced their schedules for the upcoming season.

The women's season includes a national television package and home contests against 2021 NCAA Tournament teams St. Bonaventure and VCU. They kick off the season with two away games on Nov. 9 at Florida International and Nov. 12 at Loyola (Md.). Their home opener is Nov. 14 against Virginia Tech.

In addition, the women’s basketball team will host rivalry games with George Washington and Richmond at home and face off at home against 2021 NIT qualifiers Dayton and Saint Louis. Mason's home/away partners include VCU, George Washington, Richmond, Massachusetts and Saint Joseph's. Get more details about the women’s basketball schedule.

Mason's men's basketball opens its season at home against Stony Brook on Nov. 9. Photo by Rafael Suanes

The men’s team will play a home-and-home series against Revolutionary Rival George Washington as well as two games against St. Bonaventure and Saint Joseph's. The men will play their first game of the season against Stony Brook on Nov. 9, followed by two more home games Nov. 12 against the University of Pennsylvania and Nov. 14 against Morgan State. They open conference play at UMass on New Year's Day (Jan. 1). Mason then returns to EagleBank Arena for its A-10 home opener against La Salle on January 4. Get more details about the men’s basketball schedule.

This year the A-10 Championships will be held at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The men’s championship will be held March 2-6, 2022, with the women’s following on March 9-14.

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Supreme Court ruling against NCAA is limited in scope, Mason professor says

Colleen Rich — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 17:36:19 +0000

Supreme Court ruling against NCAA is limited in scope, Mason professor says Colleen Rich Tue, 07/06/2021 - 13:36

Craig Esherick

The unanimous U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling limiting the NCAA’s ability to restrict education-related benefits to athletes won’t have as broad an impact as some news outlets are reporting, said Craig Esherick, former Georgetown University men’s basketball coach, lawyer and associate professor in ��’s College of Education and Human Development.

“The Supreme Court found that the NCAA is subject to the Sherman Antitrust Act and permitted schools to award more educationally related expenses,” said Esherick, associate director for Mason’s Center for Sport Management and academic program coordinator for Mason’s sport management program. “But on the news, they are making it out like it is a broad ruling. The justices specifically recognized that college athletics is an intricate business relationship and gave wide berth to the NCAA and colleges’ business judgments.”

Esherick said that Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion, made a narrow decision that still allows for the NCAA to create limits on benefits unrelated to education.

“Certainly, the ruling will permit colleges to award their athletes more educationally related expenses, like graduate school scholarships or technology used for school work, but the justices also specifically said that doesn’t mean a college can buy someone a Lamborghini to drive to class,” Esherick said.

Esherick also commented on the NCAA’s recent decision to officially suspend rules that prohibited athletes from selling the rights to their names, images and likenesses. The new rules represent a major shift for the NCAA. The decision came hours before laws or executive orders in six states that would have had the same impact were set to take effect.

“There are going to be some athletes that will be able to make a large amount of money now,” Esherick said. “It will be interesting to see what that dynamic brings to athletes playing a team sport.”

Esherick also warned that student athletes shouldn’t ignore the most important financial benefit they get—for those on a full scholarship, a free education.

“The concern I have is that athletes will be spending so much time building up their social media presence that it will detract from their work in math or English class,” Esherick said.

To reach Craig Esherick directly, please contact him at cesheric@gmu.edu

For more information, contact Anna Stolley Persky at apersky@gmu.edu

About George Mason

�� is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at gmu.edu

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Vanessa Blair-Lewis brings her winning ways to Mason

Colleen Rich — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:32:21 +0000

Vanessa Blair-Lewis brings her winning ways to Mason Colleen Rich Wed, 04/07/2021 - 18:32

�� introduced new women’s basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis on Wednesday at EagleBank Arena. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

�� introduced new women’s basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis on Wednesday at EagleBank Arena, trumpeting her ability to build relationships—and a winning program.

Blair-Lewis, the ninth coach in program history, comes to Mason from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. She told the supportive crowd on hand that she does not consider her profession as coaching. To her, it’s “a ministry.”

“A long time ago I realized it wasn’t about the X’s and O’s,” said Blair-Lewis, who grew up in the Washington, D.C., suburbs in Prince George’s County, Maryland and played for her father, Bob, at Largo High School. “It’s about pouring into the lives of young people to make them better now and for the future.”

Blair-Lewis led Bethune-Cookman to four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships and five postseason berths, including the program’s first trip to the NCAA tournament in 2019. Prior to her arrival, the program had posted two winning seasons in 19 years.

Vanessa Blair-Lewis, the ninth coach in program history, comes to Mason from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The four-time MEAC coach of the year inherits another challenge at Mason. The Patriots went winless in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season.

“We really started out to find someone who had a blueprint for how to build a program,” Mason Vice President/Director of Athletics Brad Edwards said, “and who also understands the strong commitment to the student-athletes’ well-being, to an inclusive culture and community involvement. I’m very proud to say that Vanessa Blair-Lewis is that coach and is that leader.”

“You don’t get in first place overnight, nor do you get in last place overnight,” said Blair-Lewis, who met with her Mason players before the press conference. “It’s a place they don’t want to be. And it’s a place we don’t want to be. We have such an important responsibility to, yes, win a lot of games, but we have a bigger responsibility to win in the lives of these young people.”

Announced Tuesday as the new head coach, Blair-Lewis had been mentioned as a candidate for other coaching jobs during the 2015 to 2020 period when her Bethune-Cookman teams posted a 107-48 record, including 68-12 in the MEAC.

She said she was waiting for the right opportunity, comparing it to her young son accumulating tickets at a carnival to take home a coveted prize he pointed out high on a shelf instead of settling for a lesser one.

“I wanted that one right here,” Blair-Lewis said of the Mason job, “way up there.”

“Coach Blair-Lewis will do at Mason what she has always done,” Mason President Gregory Washington said. “A) win. And B), more importantly, she will provide opportunities for young women and help them to develop in ways that will transcend the court.”

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Winning on the court and at life drives new Mason women’s basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis

Colleen Rich — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:17:17 +0000

Winning on the court and at life drives new Mason women’s basketball coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis Colleen Rich Wed, 04/07/2021 - 18:17

Vanessa Blair-Lewis at Wednesday’s introductory press conference at Mason’s EagleBank Arena. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Vanessa Blair-Lewis sees coaching basketball as “a ministry” more than a job, but her career almost didn’t happen.

��’s new women’s basketball coach was just a few years removed from her collegiate playing days when she headed to her alma mater, Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsberg, Maryland, to rehabilitate a knee she injured while playing professionally in Sweden.

The daughter of a high school coach, Blair-Lewis never envisioned coaching in her future, but agreed to join the coaching staff there while hoping to resume her playing career. But in September 1998, Mount St. Mary’s longtime coach suddenly announced in September 1998 that he was retiring and that he and the school’s athletics director wanted Blair-Lewis as his successor.

The news was a shock to Blair-Lewis as she was preparing to attend law school at the University of Virginia. As it turned out, she found her true calling along the sidelines.

“I never wanted to be a coach while coming up,” Blair-Lewis said following Wednesday’s introductory press conference at Mason’s EagleBank Arena. “But I accepted the position, and God had a career path ahead for me. It’s truly been a ministry.”

A four-time Northeastern Conference coach of the year while at Mount St. Mary’s, and a four-time coach of the year during her next 13 seasons at Bethune-Cookman University, Blair-Lewis inherits a Patriots team that failed to win an Atlantic 10 Conference game last season.

“I’m very excited,” said Mason center Jazmyn Doster, a rising junior. “Her speech inspired a lot of excitement and hope for the future.”

Blair-Lewis’ legacy extends well beyond the court.

“She is the best coach in the country, but an even better person,” said Chandler McCabe, who was Blair-Lewis’ associate head coach at Bethune-Cookman and will follow her to Fairfax. “When we recruit kids, we want them to be with us for four years, but we want to be in their life for the rest of those years.”

It’s more than just lip service for Blair-Lewis. She and her husband, NBA referee Eric Lewis, have opened their home and housed several former players until they got on their feet following their graduations.

Developing players will always be important, but making sure they turn into people who can make a difference in society after their playing days is even more important.

“A long time ago, I realized that it wasn’t about the X’s and O’s,” Blair-Lewis said. “It’s about pouring into the lives of young people to make them better now and for the future.”

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The run that changed a program: George Mason marks the 20th anniversary of its 2006 Final Four appearance

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