Where San Diego State stands in 2026 NCAA Tournament bracketology projections

Aztecs projected to play Cincinnati/Texas A&M winner in St. Louis

San Diego State Aztecs guard Miles Byrd. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It’s never too early to be thinking about NCAA Tournament bracketology, even when it’s sunny and 72 in mid-July in San Diego. 

CBS Sports dropped its first bracketology on Tuesday, and the San Diego State Aztecs are sitting on the No. 6 seed line, along with future Pac-12 foe Gonzaga, Michigan State and Creighton. 

CBS has the Aztecs facing the winner of the First Four matchup between Cincinnati and Texas A&M on March 20 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis in the East Region. Presuming the Aztecs win, they would then face the winner of No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Furman.

The East Regional will be played at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. 

The projected No. 1 seeds are Houston, Florida, Purdue and St. John’s. Florida beat Houston in the national championship game last season. 

San Diego State lost to North Carolina in a First Four game, but the Aztecs feel they’re primed for a deep run this season as coach Brian Dutcher has assembled another loaded roster. 

Back for another year after withdrawing from the NBA Draft are guard Miles Byrd and 7-footer Magoon Gwath, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Additionally, guard Reese Waters returns after missing last season with a foot injury.

Plus, the Aztecs signed Sean Newman Jr., Latrell Davis and Jeremiah Oden from the transfer portal, as well as incoming four-star freshmen Tae Simmons and Elzie Harrington.

SDSU has announced three regular-season matchups so far. The Aztecs will play Michigan on Nov. 24 and Oregon the next night in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Both those games will be at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort. Their third game will be decided by other results during pool play. 

The Aztecs will play Arizona in Phoenix on Dec. 20.

San Diego State will host first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games at Viejas Arena once again, on March 20 and 22. 

CBS Sports projects those first-round games to be No. 4 Texas Tech against No. 13 High Point and No. 5 Illinois against No. 12 McNeese in the East Region, and No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Northern Iowa and No. 5 Kansas vs. No. 12 Yale in the Midwest.