Brion’s: The Place for Mason Fans

When Mason basketball fans needed a place to house their Final Four excitement, local restaurant Brion’s Grille was the natural choice.

The restaurant has supported the basketball program since it has been in business, something that comes naturally to owner Brion Sumser, a former Mason basketball player.

“I was a basketball player back in the late 70s and a big fan ever since I have been in business here,” Sumser said. “We’ve been with the program for over 20 years now and have enjoyed every minute of it.”

After the tournament, Brion’s Grille saw more business—and school spirit—from basketball fans.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes,” Sumser said. “More tradition, more consistently seeing the same people, more people wearing t-shirts, wigs, painting their faces, just feeling the spirit of it more.”

The restaurant also used the 2005-2006 season to expand its memorabilia collection.
“I collected the uniforms and pictures of teams over the years, and some jerseys of different players that have played,” Sumser said, “but nothing as intense as that [Final Four] collage. We saved everything we could find during those couple weeks.”

While Sumser has been around to see “the quality of the basketball program [go] way up, as well as the growth of the university,” nothing rivals the excitement the university saw four years ago.

“The Final Four certainly was the highlight, absolutely,” Sumser said.

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The above piece was published in Mason Nation: Four Years After Final Four, a magazine released this April documenting and analyzing the university's development since the Patriots' historic run in 2006, aiming to shed light on what's connected to the Cinderella story--and additionally, what's not.

Led by senior history major and Student Media veteran Rachael Dickson, the magazine's other topics include changes in men's basketball to effects on other athletics, and from player profiles of the Final Four team to the rise of the Chesapeake residential neighborhood. Gunston and the pep band also receive shout-outs.