The official 2025-2026 Schedule Thread

[GunstonsGhost]

Have to be careful with CAA games because the league is not very good. Some of those games could be drains unless we buy a game. If we buy a game it has to be more likely a win than a risk. We can buy a game from American.

UVA and tech haven’t played us in years. Id love to see them interested.

Georgetown refuses for years. Maryland we wont play probably because of Tony’s relationship with KW. If we are going to take a paycheck and beating let it be some team from a p4 in the NE (Nova, Rutgers, St John’s) or Acc (Pitt cuse etc).

Give me a home and home with a Missouri Valley team and maybe like the AAC. Hopefully a better MTE with top 100 opportunities.

Yeah, I wasn't getting into the logistics of why it may or may not happen, just something I'd like to see. The rest is for someone in the AD to figure out. I know Tony has talked about wanting to bring back the BB&T Classic in some form. Maybe if a charity is involved some of these DMV teams will sign up.

In general though, we shouldn't shy away from a game with the CAA from fear of dropping a game. That's the same logic as to why a P4 won't play us on a neutral court, much less in Fairfax. I'd much rather pay to watch a game against an old rival than I would a game that's essentially an exhibition vs some no name school.

 

[bbennet3]

From the ACC or Big Ten would love to see Va Tech, UVA, Pitt or Penn State on the schedule. From the Big East maybe Seton Hall, Georgetown or Villanova. On a smaller scale would love to see a home and away with Charleston or UNCW. We have to make it a little stronger than this season to get some respect from the committee!

 

[PDGL Hoops]

I don't care who we play, as long as everyone has a good time. Additionally, with the new metrics, unless we win the A-10 or lose no more than 4-5 games we aren't getting into the NCAA tournament.

 

[jruby]

I don't care who we play, as long as everyone has a good time. Additionally, with the new metrics, unless we win the A-10 or lose no more than 4-5 games we aren't getting into the NCAA tournament.

I agree with that baring some luck with scheduling and everyone they play OFC finishing in top 150 which almost seems impossible.

Metric seems to be 2-3 quad 1 wins no quad 4 loses and crush The 2/3 games. Not sure they can get enough quad 1 games on schedule to be able to do that. Tbd how it all shakes out. Someone has to figure out how to crack the numbers.

 

[GMUMiked]

I agree with that baring some luck with scheduling and everyone they play OFC finishing in top 150 which almost seems impossible.

Metric seems to be 2-3 quad 1 wins no quad 4 loses and crush The 2/3 games. Not sure they can get enough quad 1 games on schedule to be able to do that. Tbd how it all shakes out. Someone has to figure out how to crack the numbers.

In conference road games against top 75 teams are the A-10's best shot at getting quad 1 wins. This year GMU, Dayton, St Joes, and St Bonaventure (before their injuries and collapse) were all hovering in that range with vcu creeping into the top 30 (quad 1 home game) at times. A bit more OOC success among the top A-10 teams and some luck with the conference schedule in terms of who we play home vs on the road would result in a few more chances at quad 1 wins.

 

[mkaufman1]

I actually have a fun challenge / discussion for you guys.

I asked ChatGPT to come up with a non conference schedule for Mason, setting up the parameters of "NCAA worthy" and "top 50 NET", and I was really impressed with what it spit back to me. It came up with like 3 power 5 buy games on the road, 2 neutral games, 3 buy games and a few fun mid major home games. I shared the results with a few folks on texts and I can share on here if people want to see.

I'd like to see you guys give the same parameters or slightly tweaked and see what you come up with from ChatGPT. We all bitch and moan about the schedule, but instead of just projecting "I want Georgetown, I want Virginia Tech", lets take a different approach. Before you cut and paste what you come up with, tell us what you prompted ChatGPT. And also, feel free to tell chatgpt "come up with an unrealistic schedule where Mason comes #1 in NET ranking" or something like that lol.

 

[jruby]

I actually have a fun challenge / discussion for you guys.

I asked ChatGPT to come up with a non conference schedule for Mason, setting up the parameters of "NCAA worthy" and "top 50 NET", and I was really impressed with what it spit back to me. It came up with like 3 power 5 buy games on the road, 2 neutral games, 3 buy games and a few fun mid major home games. I shared the results with a few folks on texts and I can share on here if people want to see.

I'd like to see you guys give the same parameters or slightly tweaked and see what you come up with from ChatGPT. We all bitch and moan about the schedule, but instead of just projecting "I want Georgetown, I want Virginia Tech", lets take a different approach. Before you cut and paste what you come up with, tell us what you prompted ChatGPT. And also, feel free to tell chatgpt "come up with an unrealistic schedule where Mason comes #1 in NET ranking" or something like that lol.

Does anyone know what our scheduling budget looks like?

 

[jruby]

So this is fun. As you can see it's definitely not perfect but regardless can be perfected pretty easily with access to data based on home matchups, previous agreed upon games etc.

Prompts:
• come up with a schedule where Mason comes #40 in NET ranking for 2025-26
• now create a schedule for mason to obtain that net ranking

Created schedule with vcu as OFC game.

So next prompt. vcu is a conference game. Need to replace them with someone else

Then
• Dayton is also a conference game please add another game
• create full schedule with conference games
• Jmu is a home game in 2025/2026
• now give me the complete schedule with the A10 tournament being hosted in Pittsburgh Pa
• now create the schedule in 2025/2026 based on the previous A10 matchups in 2024/2025
• now add the out of conference games you completed above
• create printable graphic

George Mason Men’s Basketball 2025–26 Season Schedule​

---

Non-Conference Schedule (13 Games)​

Date	Opponent	Location	Quad Est.	Notes
Nov 5	vs. Norfolk State	Home	Q4	Season opener
Nov 9	vs. Howard	Home	Q4	DMV HBCU matchup
Nov 12	vs. Delaware	Home	Q3	Local test
Nov 15	@ Old Dominion	Away	Q3	True road win opp.
Nov 18	vs. South Carolina	Home	Q2	SEC name, beatable
Nov 22	vs. Hofstra	Home	Q3	CAA title contender
Nov 25	vs. James Madison	Home	Q2	Rivalry, resume builder
Nov 28	Neutral vs. Memphis	Neutral Site	Q1	MTE Game 1
Nov 30	Neutral vs. Colorado	Neutral Site	Q2	MTE Game 2
Dec 3	@ Cincinnati	Away	Q1	Big 12 test
Dec 7	vs. Virginia Tech	Home	Q2	In-state Power 6
Dec 11	vs. UAB	Home	Q2	Strong AAC team
Dec 15	@ Alabama	Away	Q1	High-level challenge

---

️ Atlantic 10 Conference Schedule (18 Games)​

(Projected based on flipped 2024–25 home/away pairings)

Home Games (9)​

Opponent	Notes
Dayton	Major A-10 test
Duquesne	Physical, tough team
Saint Bonaventure	Key NET game
Saint Louis	Historic power
vcu	Local rivalry
Davidson	Flip from 2024–25
George Washington	D.C. showdown
Rhode Island	Must-win
Richmond	In-state rivalry

✈️ Away Games (9)​

Opponent	Notes
Fordham	Must-win Q3 game
La Salle	Trap game
Loyola Chicago	Underrated test
Massachusetts	Resume trap
Saint Joseph’s	Winnable road
Davidson	Home-and-home return
George Washington	Home-and-home return
Rhode Island	Home-and-home return
Richmond	Home-and-home return

---

Atlantic 10 Tournament – Pittsburgh, PA​

PPG Paints Arena | ️ Mar 12–16, 2026

Round	Opponent	Goal
Quarterfinal	vs. Duquesne	Win
Semifinal	vs. Dayton/vcu	Key Resume Game
Final	vs. Saint Louis	Auto-bid chance

---

Team Goals & Resume​

Category	Goal
Overall Record	24–8
A-10 Record	14–4
Quad 1 Wins	3–4
Quad 2 Wins	6–7
NET Ranking Target	Top 40
NCAA Seed Projection	9–11

​

 

[mkaufman1]

Does anyone know what our scheduling budget looks like?

I don't- but we usually look to buy about 5 games, probably at an average of 75 to 100k. Some games are obviously less like if we play a D3 school or a MEAC vs an Ivy League.

 

[gmubrian]

Related to Buzzkill’s, erm, I mean Matt’s post about scheduling above, the following links are must read for anyone interested in making the A10 a multi bid league again:

https://x.com/sbunfurled/status/1907174248189239757?s=46&t=3I69vYcoT2YCkzXfiueq1w

https://x.com/sbunfurled/status/1907220484770365694?s=46&t=3I69vYcoT2YCkzXfiueq1w

 

[GunstonsGhost]

Did we ever get any clarification around the botched Bahamas trip this past season? Did we lose the eligibility for another four years or what ended up coming of that whole thing?

 

[GSII]

Did we ever get any clarification around the botched Bahamas trip this past season? Did we lose the eligibility for another four years or what ended up coming of that whole thing?

we did not lose eligibility. not sure if we got all the $ back though.

 

[mkaufman1]

we did not lose eligibility. not sure if we got all the $ back though.

@gmubrian can share more. Think donors got money back.

 

[smccart5]

Related to Buzzkill’s, erm, I mean Matt’s post about scheduling above, the following links are must read for anyone interested in making the A10 a multi bid league again:

https://x.com/sbunfurled/status/1907174248189239757?s=46&t=3I69vYcoT2YCkzXfiueq1w

https://x.com/sbunfurled/status/1907220484770365694?s=46&t=3I69vYcoT2YCkzXfiueq1w

Yeah need to do something like this or bring back b'buster games

 

[mkaufman1]

I actually have a fun challenge / discussion for you guys.

I asked ChatGPT to come up with a non conference schedule for Mason, setting up the parameters of "NCAA worthy" and "top 50 NET", and I was really impressed with what it spit back to me. It came up with like 3 power 5 buy games on the road, 2 neutral games, 3 buy games and a few fun mid major home games. I shared the results with a few folks on texts and I can share on here if people want to see.

I'd like to see you guys give the same parameters or slightly tweaked and see what you come up with from ChatGPT. We all bitch and moan about the schedule, but instead of just projecting "I want Georgetown, I want Virginia Tech", lets take a different approach. Before you cut and paste what you come up with, tell us what you prompted ChatGPT. And also, feel free to tell chatgpt "come up with an unrealistic schedule where Mason comes #1 in NET ranking" or something like that lol.

Bumping this challenge since we are further into the offseason. Come up with a realistic schedule and share your parameters.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

I don't know about realistic. ​

Here's a hypothetical non-conference schedule for George Mason University's men's basketball team, designed to meet "NCAA-worthy" standards and feature opponents ranked in the top 75 of the NCAA NET rankings.

George Mason Men's Basketball Hypothetical Non-Conference Schedule​

November - Early Challenges​

• Nov 5: vs. Saint Mary's (CA) (Home) - A strong mid-major known for NCAA tourney bids.
• Nov 10: at Michigan State (Away) - A perennial top-25 team and Big Ten powerhouse.
• Nov 15: vs. vcu (Neutral) – A regional rivalry game with major implications.
• Nov 20: at San Diego State (Away) - Consistently strong defense and a deep tournament resume.

November - Thanksgiving Tournament​

• Nov 25: vs. Oregon (Neutral) – Pac-12 contender.
• Nov 26: vs. Creighton (Neutral) – Top Big East program.
• Nov 27: vs. Texas A&M (Neutral) – SEC team with a tough defense.

December - Tough Road Tests & Home Protection​

• Dec 5: vs. Memphis (Home) – Fast-paced team with strong recruiting.
• Dec 12: at UCLA (Away) - A blue-blood opponent, top-tier competition.
• Dec 20: vs. Dayton (Home) – A top mid-major with tournament experience.
• Dec 29: at Providence (Away) - Tough Big East matchup to close out the year.

This schedule would push George Mason’s NCAA resume and strength of schedule with a mix of elite major-conference teams and top mid-major programs.

EDIT: to replace Dayton and vcu (my bad) the AI added Maryland and Rutgers. Maybe Rutgers would be willing to come to Fairfax.


I couldn't find specific NET rankings for East Coast public state schools similar to Dayton and vcu, but I can suggest two strong basketball programs that might fit the bill:

1. Rutgers University (New Jersey) – A competitive Big Ten program with solid NET rankings in recent seasons.
2. University of Maryland – A strong program in the Big Ten with a history of NCAA tournament success.

Both schools are public, located on the East Coast, and have competitive basketball teams that could be good additions to a schedule. Would you like me to refine the search further?

 

[phoenix-arizona]

This is fun!

Absolutely! Here's a hypothetical non-conference schedule for George Mason University's men's basketball team, structured to be "NIT-worthy" while featuring opponents ranked within the top 150 of the NCAA NET rankings. This schedule balances competitive mid-major matchups and strong tests against solid major-conference teams.

George Mason Men's Basketball Hypothetical Non-Conference Schedule​

November - Early Season Challenges​

• Nov 5: vs. Old Dominion (Home) – Regional foe with a solid NET ranking.
• Nov 9: at Richmond (Away) – A tough road matchup against an experienced squad.
• Nov 14: vs. Belmont (Home) – A top-tier mid-major program.
• Nov 18: at Tulane (Away) – An AAC opponent known for athletic play.

November - Thanksgiving Tournament​

• Nov 22: vs. UC Irvine (Neutral) – A sneaky-good West Coast team.
• Nov 23: vs. UAB (Neutral) – Strong C-USA contender.
• Nov 24: vs. Drake (Neutral) – Perennial mid-major powerhouse.

December - Key Resume Builders​

• Dec 1: vs. Buffalo (Home) – A MAC team with high-paced play.
• Dec 7: vs. Fresno State (Home) – Tough Mountain West opponent.
• Dec 14: at SMU (Away) – AAC squad with a physical style.
• Dec 20: vs. South Florida (Home) – Another AAC challenge.
• Dec 28: at UNC Greensboro (Away) – Well-coached and tournament-tested.

This schedule provides a mix of quality mid-major opponents and solid major-conference teams to give George Mason a path to an NIT bid, while maintaining competitive balance.

 

[mkaufman1]

I don't know about realistic. ​

Here's a hypothetical non-conference schedule for George Mason University's men's basketball team, designed to meet "NCAA-worthy" standards and feature opponents ranked in the top 75 of the NCAA NET rankings.

George Mason Men's Basketball Hypothetical Non-Conference Schedule​

November - Early Challenges​

• Nov 5: vs. Saint Mary's (CA) (Home) - A strong mid-major known for NCAA tourney bids.
• Nov 10: at Michigan State (Away) - A perennial top-25 team and Big Ten powerhouse.
• Nov 15: vs. vcu (Neutral) – A regional rivalry game with major implications.
• Nov 20: at San Diego State (Away) - Consistently strong defense and a deep tournament resume.

November - Thanksgiving Tournament​

• Nov 25: vs. Oregon (Neutral) – Pac-12 contender.
• Nov 26: vs. Creighton (Neutral) – Top Big East program.
• Nov 27: vs. Texas A&M (Neutral) – SEC team with a tough defense.

December - Tough Road Tests & Home Protection​

• Dec 5: vs. Memphis (Home) – Fast-paced team with strong recruiting.
• Dec 12: at UCLA (Away) - A blue-blood opponent, top-tier competition.
• Dec 20: vs. Dayton (Home) – A top mid-major with tournament experience.
• Dec 29: at Providence (Away) - Tough Big East matchup to close out the year.

This schedule would push George Mason’s NCAA resume and strength of schedule with a mix of elite major-conference teams and top mid-major programs.

It’s good except you have Dayton and vcu as part of non conference. Let’s try to keep conference opponents out of nonconf play.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

See--AI doesn't always get it right.

 

[mkaufman1]

See--AI doesn't always get it right.

No, but you can tell them to remove or change a game and keep everything else.