What Sean Miller Said About Xavier Fans Before Texas Heads to NCAA Tournament

The Texas Longhorns are officially heading to the NCAA Tournament (sort of) as they will be taking on the NC State Wolfpack in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday.

The winner will head to Portland, OR. to take on No. 6 BYU this Thursday.

While previewing the rematch with NC State, a team Texas beat at the Maui Invitational in November, Texas head coach Sean Miller delivered a sarcastic remark about the Xavier fanbase that's expected to attend the game in Dayton to root against Texas.

Sean Miller on Xavier Fans: "They Can't Wait to See Me"

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Miller, who spent a total of eight seasons as the head coach at Xavier in two seperate stints, was not well received by the program's fans after leaving for the Texas job last offseason. His second-to-last game with the team came in last year's First Four, an 86-80 win over Texas.

Since then, Xavier fans have turned on Miller in a major way, becoming major Texas haters in the process. With Dayton only about an hour away from Xavier's campus, Musketeers fans will likely show up in hoards to cheer on NC State against Texas.

Knowing this, Miller poked fun at the likelihood that he will be greeted with hostility when asked by Texas Longhorns on SI about what he expects from the fans in Dayton.

"I have so many friends in Cincinnati. I totally disagree with you. I think it's overwhelming. I think it'll be incredibly supportive and loud for us. They can't wait to see me," Miller said.

While Miller's comment didn't appear to be sarcastic on the surface, the way he delivered his words clearly came from a tongue-in-cheek approach.

Here's a look at the video:

Here’s Sean Miller’s answer in full about heading back to Dayton and the possibility of Xavier fans making the trip. https://t.co/YWfQUkYlsN pic.twitter.com/3geiGRasWc
— Eric C. Henry (@EricCHenry_) March 16, 2026

Miller has now been the First Four in back-to-back seasons, but he said the familiarity about it all could help the team.

"When I was at Xavier last year, I remember thinking, when these guys from Texas land here, they're going to be in the bitter and cold tundra of Dayton, Ohio," Miller said. "And we were in Cincinnati. We're used to it, right? So, you know, I've already addressed that with our guys. Like, it's going to be gray, it's going to be cold. I think it's going to be really cold, as matter of fact. And you got to understand, that has nothing to do with the game, but the mentality of the trip, the excitement, knowing why we're there place we're at. I think that the familiarity of already being there a year ago will be good."