USF Men's Basketball Announces Home-And-Home Series With George Mason
July 01, 2026 | Men's Basketball
TAMPA, July 1, 2026 – South Florida men's basketball continues to build out a strong non-conference slate in head coach Chris Mack's first season at the helm as the Bulls announced a home-and-home series with George Mason starting in 2026.
The Bulls will take on the Patriots on Saturday, Nov. 21 at EagleBank Arena (10,000) in Fairfax, Va., to open the series. George Mason will return the game in Tampa in the 2027-28 season.
George Mason, a member of the Atlantic 10 conference that has won nine conference championships and reached the 2006 NCAA Final Four, went 23-10 last season and played in the NIT under fourth-year head coach Tony Skinn.
The 2026 matchup will mark the third meeting between the programs and the Bulls' second visit to Fairfax, Va. South Florida holds a 2-0 lead in the series, with both games decided by four points or less, and won the last meeting in 2013 with a 68-66 victory at George Mason.
South Florida has previously announced 2026-27 season non-conference matchups at DePaul (Thurs., Nov. 5), at Dayton (Sat., Dec. 12), vs. Kennesaw State (Sat., Dec. 19) and vs. St. Joseph's (Nov. 11) in the Veteran's Classic. A return date vs. Alabama (Wed., Dec. 16) in the Yuengling Center announced last year, which is part a two-for-one series that began last season in Tuscaloosa and will be completed at Alabama in 2027, is also on the slate.
The Bulls welcomed 15 new players in head coach Chris Mack's first season at the helm as South Florida returned no players from the 2025-26 squad that went 25-9, reached the NCAA tournament and won an American Conference title (claiming both the regular season and tournament crowns) for the second time in three years. The Bulls reloaded with 12 transfer portal additions and three high school signees. The portal class features four players with a composite rating of .9100 or higher and a four-star rating, according to 247Sports. The Bulls' average transfer rating of 89.00 ranks third among Group of 6 programs, while the overall class ranked among the top 10 nationally among the Group of 6 according to 247Sports.
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About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Chris Mack as the program's 13th head coach on March 25, 2026. Mack came to Tampa after a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. With more than 300 career wins, he brought a career winning percentage of nearly 68 percent to South Florida, including 12 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led both Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament and made four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight with Xavier.
The program, entering its 56th season in 2026-27, won American Conference regular-season championships in 2024 and 2026 and claimed the conference tournament title in 2026. American Conference Player of the Year Izaiyah Nelson became the Bulls ninth NBA Draft pick, going in the second round in 2026. The Bulls have made 14 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments (the last in 2026), nine NITs, and won a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls players – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, while two coaches – Amir Abdur-Rahim (2023-24) and Bobby Paschal (1986-96) – join them in the USF Hall of Fame.
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
The Bulls will take on the Patriots on Saturday, Nov. 21 at EagleBank Arena (10,000) in Fairfax, Va., to open the series. George Mason will return the game in Tampa in the 2027-28 season.
George Mason, a member of the Atlantic 10 conference that has won nine conference championships and reached the 2006 NCAA Final Four, went 23-10 last season and played in the NIT under fourth-year head coach Tony Skinn.
The 2026 matchup will mark the third meeting between the programs and the Bulls' second visit to Fairfax, Va. South Florida holds a 2-0 lead in the series, with both games decided by four points or less, and won the last meeting in 2013 with a 68-66 victory at George Mason.
South Florida has previously announced 2026-27 season non-conference matchups at DePaul (Thurs., Nov. 5), at Dayton (Sat., Dec. 12), vs. Kennesaw State (Sat., Dec. 19) and vs. St. Joseph's (Nov. 11) in the Veteran's Classic. A return date vs. Alabama (Wed., Dec. 16) in the Yuengling Center announced last year, which is part a two-for-one series that began last season in Tuscaloosa and will be completed at Alabama in 2027, is also on the slate.
The Bulls welcomed 15 new players in head coach Chris Mack's first season at the helm as South Florida returned no players from the 2025-26 squad that went 25-9, reached the NCAA tournament and won an American Conference title (claiming both the regular season and tournament crowns) for the second time in three years. The Bulls reloaded with 12 transfer portal additions and three high school signees. The portal class features four players with a composite rating of .9100 or higher and a four-star rating, according to 247Sports. The Bulls' average transfer rating of 89.00 ranks third among Group of 6 programs, while the overall class ranked among the top 10 nationally among the Group of 6 according to 247Sports.
Follow us:
Follow South Florida men's basketball on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Chris Mack as the program's 13th head coach on March 25, 2026. Mack came to Tampa after a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. With more than 300 career wins, he brought a career winning percentage of nearly 68 percent to South Florida, including 12 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led both Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament and made four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight with Xavier.
The program, entering its 56th season in 2026-27, won American Conference regular-season championships in 2024 and 2026 and claimed the conference tournament title in 2026. American Conference Player of the Year Izaiyah Nelson became the Bulls ninth NBA Draft pick, going in the second round in 2026. The Bulls have made 14 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments (the last in 2026), nine NITs, and won a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls players – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, while two coaches – Amir Abdur-Rahim (2023-24) and Bobby Paschal (1986-96) – join them in the USF Hall of Fame.
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
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