Are There Still Two Ways WVU Can Make the NCAA Tournament?

Breaking down the paths for West Virginia to go dancing this March.

Feb 24, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers center Harlan Obioha (55) dunks during the first half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Welp, thanks to three straight losses and a 16-12 record, the West Virginia Mountaineers have pretty much played themselves out of a chance at an at-large bid. Even if they were to win the final three games of the regular season against BYU, Kansas State, and UCF, they need more to happen.

The only path to an at-large bid

According to TeamRankings.com, West Virginia needs 23 wins to go dancing. In the scenario where they win out, that means they would move up the Big 12 standings and not play in the opening round of the conference tournament, meaning they'd have to cut down the nets to get in.

Personally, I still think there's a chance they're heavily considered if they win out and just make it to the Big 12 title game. No, I don't see that happening, but if it did, it would certainly have the committee's attention. Recency bias is a real thing, and to see a team string together five or six wins at this time of the year would hold some serious weight.

Plus, this would put WVU at 22-12 heading into the title game and an extended Big 12 record of 13-8 if you want to count the wins in the conference tournament. If they happen to drop any of these final three regular season games, you might as well kiss an at-large bid goodbye.

The automatic bid

West Virginia University head coach Ross Hodge | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

If we're being honest here, this is probably the only route WVU has left, and it's not all that realistic either. I do like their chances to win three or four in a row compared to the five or six they'd have to string together in the at-large scenario.

It's been a year full of heartbreak from the double-digit blown lead vs. Clemson, Xavier having a red-hot shooting night, the disappointing outing vs. Wake Forest, the Ohio State double overtime loss, and the recent letdowns against Baylor and Utah. If just a couple of those games had gone the other way, they'd at least have a chance to sneak in with an at-large bid.

At this point, it's probably best to prepare yourself for West Virginia to head to Las Vegas to play in The College Basketball Crown. They'll have to receive an invite to the event, of course, but odds are they will, considering last year, the Crown Committee picked five Big 12 teams to participate.