George Mason apparently has edged past Virginia Commonwealth as the state’s largest university. GMU’s unanticipated growth this fall—amid state and federal campaigns to increase the number of college graduates—should be a good thing.

The annual listing of “America’s Best Colleges” has given new bragging rights to Virginia schools. Several universities moved up in the ranks as U.S. News & World Report yesterday scored more than 1,400 schools nationwide in a wide range of categories. On the magazine’s list of best national universities, the University of Virginia was ranked 24th and the College of William and Mary was 33rd.

National universities—262 American universities [164 public and 98 private] that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master’s and doctoral degrees; some emphasize research.
  Liberal-arts colleges—266 schools that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the arts and sciences; most are private, but 28 are public.

Eric Maynor leaves Virginia Commonwealth University as the Rams’ all-time leader in scoring and assists. The hope now is that his assists keep on coming for VCU, and the Colonial Athletic Association, in recruiting.

Christopher Newport University 52
  College of William and Mary————————————-91
  George Mason University————————————-58
  Hampden-Sydney College————————————-66
  James Madison University————————————-81
  Longwood University————————————-64

All those hours the kids spend playing video games might pay off after all. Virginia college students now can make it their major. George Mason University will offer the state’s first bachelor of fine arts degree in computer-game design this fall. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia approved the GMU degree program in March. Though it’s the first in Virginia, other universities offer similar programs, including the University of Florida and Carnegie Mellon University.

College graduates—some with student debts rivaling mortgage payments—may be second-guessing themselves about the value of their hard-earned and expensive bachelor’s degrees. But as they pick up their diplomas this month and head into a world of economic uncertainties, the U.S. Census Bureau has a word of reassurance. The bureau says a worker with a bachelor’s degree earns about $26,000 more on average each year than someone with a high school diploma.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.—Talor Battle scored eight of his game-high 24 points in overtime and tied the game with a 3-pointer at the end of regulation as Penn State defeated George Mason, 77-73 Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT. Dre Smith hit two foul shots with 5 seconds left in regulation to give George Mason a 65-62 lead before Battle hurried down the court for his buzzer-beating 3 for Penn State (23-11). It was Battle’s first bucket of the second half after missing his first seven shots.

Too much Eric Maynor. Too much Larry Sanders. Too much pressure defense. The top-seeded VCU Rams proved too much for the second-seeded George Mason Patriots in a 71-50 rout in the CAA tournament championship game before a charged sellout crowd of 11,200 at the Coliseum tonight.

Eric Maynor had 25 points and eight assists and is heading back to the NCAA tournament after leading Virginia Commonwealth University to a 71-50 victory against George Mason tonight in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game. Larry Sanders added 18 points, and set championship game records with 20 rebounds and seven blocks for the Rams (24-9), who stunned Duke in the first round two years ago and look capable of giving another team trouble by letting their senior guard and big forward lead the way.

The Virginia Commonwealth University Rams lead George Mason 30-19 at halftime in the Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament championship game tonight at the Richmond Coliseum. VCU’s Eric Maynor, who hit six straight shots, has 14 points for the Rams. Larry Sanders has six points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

So who’s the favorite in the tournament? Top seed and regular-season champion VCU? Red-hot Old Dominion? Northeastern, which led the CAA much of the season? Don’t discount second-seeded George Mason (20-9), which has reached the championship game three of the past five years and enters this year’s event as the defending champs. “There are circumstances that lead to your performance [in the tournament], and how a coach is able to get his team motivated, focused and play consistently throughout a threeor four-day period is the whole key,“ GMU coach Jim Larranaga said. “Quite frankly, that has a lot to do with your personnel.“

Not so long ago, the men’s basketball teams in the Colonial Athletic Association were on the brink of fame, fortune and, even better, the undying affection of the NCAA tournament selection committee. In 2006, George Mason received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and reached the Final Four. In 2007, VCU won the conference tournament and Old Dominion received an at-large bid. VCU beat Duke—Duke—in the first round of the NCAA tournament and took Pittsburgh into overtime before losing in the second round.

George Mason University senior Ryan Allen dresses in drag and doesn’t mind being called a queen—homecoming queen, to be exact. Allen, who grew up in Goochland County and who is gay and performs in drag at nightclubs in the region, said he entered the homecoming contest as a joke, competing as Reann Ballslee, his drag-queen persona.

OMAHA, Neb.—Booker Woodfox scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting to lead Creighton past George Mason 76-63 in an ESPNU BracketBusters game on Saturday. The nation’s leading 3-point shooter hit five of his six attempts from beyond the arc, including a pair during a 21-7 run by the Bluejays to break open a tight game in the second half.