The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University located in Fairfax, Virginia. [136] The Patriots compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports. George Mason University has expanded rapidly in less than 50 years of existence to become the largest public research university in the southeastern US state of Virginia.Established in 1957 with just 17 students, as a branch of the University of Virginia, the university gained its independence in 1972 and today has tens of thousands of students from around 130 countries.It offers 76 undergraduate majors and was the first university in the US to introduce doctoral programs in conflict ... Learn more about studying at George Mason University including how it performs in QS rankings, the cost of tuition and further course information. George Mason University has become Virginia’s largest, most diverse, and highest-ranked university for innovation by rejecting the traditional university model of exclusivity.