FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University men's basketball team has been selected for the 2026 National Invitation Tournament and will open the event in Fairfax with a Tuesday night contest against Liberty.
 
The 6 p.m. game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
 
All tickets for Tuesday's game are $25 and will go on sale Monday (March 16). George Mason students will receive free admission to the game.
 
It's George Mason's sixth NIT appearance in program history and the second in the past two seasons. The Patriots have now made back-to-back postseason appearances (NCAA or NIT) for the first time since 2007-09.
 
Liberty won the 2026 Conference USA regular season title while tallying a 25-7 overall record and 17-3 mark in league play.
 
The Flames and Patriots have met nine previous times in their history, with George Mason holding a 6-3 advantage in the series. The two teams last met on Dec. 10, 2011, in Fairfax. George Mason won that game, 84-54.
 
Last season, the Green & Gold advanced to the NIT Second Round after earning their first win in the event since 2004.