On-court dunks mean off-court wins.

MARCH USUALLY COMES IN LIKE a lion and goes out like a lamb. For George Mason University (Va.), March 2006 came in quietly and ended with the roar of cheering crowds.

The Mason men's basketball team beat the odds to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. GMU is the first mid-major conference school since 1979 to make it to the Final Four. While Mason entered the tournament as an 11th seed (16th being the lowest), the team nearly made it to the national championship.

Strengthened by this Cinderella story, GMU is abuzz with future plans. Conversations are taking place on how to expand visibility, grow enrollment, and boost advancement. "We're hoping to capitalize on the school spirit that came out of that," says Daniel Walsch, a university spokesman.

Indeed, hits on Mason's website spiked following the Final Four appearance. Mason T-shirts and hats became ubiquitous. The university's transfer/dropout rates have been shrinking. "Whether they're staying here because suddenly Mason is a lot more renowned, or they like us better than they used to ... we don't know, " says Walsch.

The university has major plans for growth, many of which were started long before the Final Four appearance. It is opening another Virginia campus; developing one in the United Arab Emirates; and completing $275 million in campus facilities projects in Fairfax. As for basketball season, it's now less than three months away.