San Diego State vs. Utah State: What's on the line in Saturday's MWC showdown

Aztecs look to keep sole possession of first place when they visit Aggies

San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team. | Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

The biggest showdown so far this season in the Mountain West, rather ironically, will be between two teams that are bailing for the Pac-12 next season. 

San Diego State (15-5, 9-1) will attempt to hold onto sole possession of first place when it visits Utah State (17-3, 8-2) in a rare Saturday morning game at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan. 

This will be the first of two meetings between the teams picked to finish 1-2 in the regular-season race. The Aztecs received all 26 first-place votes and 312 points, with the Aggies getting 275 points. 

Tipoff will be at 10 a.m. PT and it’s the second straight Saturday that the Aztecs’ game will be aired on CBS.

The Aztecs and Aggies are joining Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State in bolting to the reformed Pac-12 effective July 1.

Why it matters

The Aztecs and Aggies have been at or near the top of the league standings all season. SDSU vaulted into sole possession of the lead on Jan. 17. Utah State lost by 10 at Grand Canyon in an afternoon game and SDSU then won at home against New Mexico in a night game. 

Three days later, UNLV stunned the Aggies by 10 points in Logan, which allowed the Aztecs to remain alone in first place despite losing by one at Grand Canyon in a heartbreaker the next night, following a controversial foul in the final seconds. 

Since then, the Aggies won by four at Colorado State and then routed Wyoming by 32 at home on Wednesday night. SDSU won by 11 at UNLV and then defeated Colorado State by 23 at home on Wednesday night. 

Jan 23, 2026; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Utah State Aggies players react from the bench in the second half against the Colorado State Rams at Moby Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

SDSU goes into the matchup with a one-game lead over both Utah State and New Mexico. 

The payoff for winning the regular-season title is getting the No. 1 seed in the tournament and the coveted noon Thursday tipoff in the quarterfinals. It takes three wins in three days to clinch the MW’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. 

“We know how hard it is to play there, but we are excited for the opportunity,” SDSU coach Brian Dutcher said Thursday. “It feels like we have a chance to steal one. We know they come back to us later in the year, so holding home court for both teams is very important. I know we'll get their best effort.” 

The teams meet again on Feb. 25.

NCAA Tournament ramifications

This is a Quad 1 opportunity for the Aztecs, whose resume was hurt by some big losses in non-conference play, including a 30-point blowout loss to Michigan in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, a 23-point loss to No. 1 Arizona in Phoenix on Dec. 20, and a stunning 108-107 double-overtime home loss to Troy on Nov. 18. 

SDSU’s chances at an at-large bid have improved since then, as they’ve won nine of 10 since the Arizona loss. Included in that span was a Quad 1 win at MW foe Nevada on Jan. 6.

As of Thursday, SDSU is No. 45 in the NCAA NET Rankings, which are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness. Utah State is No. 25. This would be a Quad 2 win for the Aggies. 

In Tuesday’s ESPN bracketology update, Joe Lunardi had the Aztecs as the MW’s automatic qualifier and the No. 11 seed in the South Region. He had Utah State as the No. 9 seed in the West.

Lunardi will have an update on Friday.