Who was George Mason?

In a startling development, the University of Connecticut Huskies were informed that their services would no longer be needed in the men's NCAA tournament. The directive was issued this afternoon by George Mason. But who was this guy?

George Mason (pictured, right) was the director of the Counter Terrorism Unit in the first season of 24. As portrayed by actor Xander Berkeley, he was kind of a government tool early on, someone that Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) had to work around to get the job done. But he proved his worth by the second season, when he sacrificed himself by piloting down a plane armed with nuclear explosives into an unpopulated desert area. For this, the United States renamed a college in Fairfax, Virginia in his honor.

According to Wikipedia, there was another George Mason back in colonial times, but I'm sure that's just coincidence.