The Patriot (Current Mascot)
After Mason's men's basketball team's performance in the Final Four of March Madness, Mason decided to change their mascot to a more recognizable character. Replacing Gunston with a new mascot called the Patriot. The Patriot resembled many of Mason's first mascots in both attire and attitude, based on the university's namesake, George Mason. Like GMU's past mascots, the Patriot is dressed in colonial garb with green and gold as his main colors. When George Mason first announced it was replacing Gunston with the Patriot, students had mixed reactions. Some believed that Mason should keep Gunston for its unconventional charm, and others believed that Gunston should be replaced with a more marketable mascot.