BYU, Utah State are on the wrong side of NCAA Tournament history
Mar 16, 2026, 4:04 PM | Updated: Mar 17, 2026, 11:06 am
Almost like clockwork, the BYU and Utah State men’s basketball programs are set to go dancing as the NCAA Tournament tips off this week.
However, despite a significant amount of March Madness appearances, neither the Cougars nor the Aggies has ever been able to crack into the Final Four.
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In fact, both programs are in the top five in that metric. BYU has made the tourney 33 times without a trip to the Final Four. For Utah State, the number is 26.
Missouri (31), Xavier (30), Tennessee (28), and Creighton (26) fill out the rest of the top five.
Between the two Utah colleges, there are two Elite Eight appearances in history. BYU made it in 1981 before losing to No. 1 Virginia. Utah State made it in 1970, where they lost to No. 2 UCLA.
The Aggies technically have a second Elite Eight appearance, as they were invited to the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939 with only eight total schools.
THE MEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET IS SET 🔥🏀
Fill out your Bracket Mayhem brackets NOW: https://t.co/JMXGeRofsP pic.twitter.com/iPpemZDQSR
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 15, 2026
Heading into the 2026 dance, BYU and Utah State both land in the West Region as the No. 6 and No. 9 seeds, respectively.
In the entire history of the tournament, three No. 6 seeds and two No. 9 seeds have ever survived to make it to the Final Four.
Could this be the year that either BYU or Utah State ends the drought?
