Utah State only Mountain West team selected to NCAA Tournament

For the first time since 2017, the Mountain West has just one men’s basketball representative in the NCAA Tournament.

Utah State, the MWC’s regular-season and tournament champion, was the only MWC team selected to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The full 68-team bracket was unveiled on Sunday.

The Aggies (28-6) received a No. 9 seed and a first-round matchup with No. 8 Villanova (24-8) of the Big East on Friday at Viejas Arena in San Diego. The winner advances to face No. 1 Arizona (32-2), which captured a double championship of its own in the Big 12, or No. 16 Long Island (24-10) in the second round.

Utah State is making its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth since 2019.

“We’re going to get back to Logan. We’re going to take (Sunday) off physically, but it starts again (Sunday) night,” Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun said after Saturday’s MWC Tournament title game win over San Diego State.

“We’ll be drinking more coffees, and we’ll be in (the practice facility). You don’t sleep as a coach. How could you? This is the greatest time in the world for college basketball coaches and players and fans. Buckle up; the next three weeks could be really good.”

The Aztecs (22-11), who suffered a 73-62 loss to Utah State in the MWC Tournament championship game, were the third cut by the selection committee. San Diego State had made five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Oklahoma (19-15), Auburn (17-16), San Diego State and Indiana (18-14) were the first four teams out. The last four teams in were N.C. State (20-13), Texas (18-14), SMU (20-13) and Miami Ohio (31-1).

New Mexico (23-10), which finished third in the MWC behind Utah State and San Diego State, was further down the cut list. The Lobos reached the MWC Tournament semifinals before falling to San Diego State.

No other MWC teams were near the NCAA Tournament bubble on Selection Sunday.

Here is a full list of the MWC’s NCAA Tournament participants dating back to 2018:

2026 (1): Utah State

2025 (4): Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah State

2024 (6): Boise State, Colorado State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah State

2023 (4): Boise State, Utah State, San Diego State, Nevada

2022 (4): Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Wyoming

2021 (2): San Diego State, Utah State

2019 (2): Nevada, Utah State

2018 (2): Nevada, San Diego State