Is Utah State destined for its best NCAA Tournament seed ever?
Mar 13, 2026, 10:35 PM | Updated: Mar 14, 2026, 1:44 pm
LOGAN, Utah – The 2025–26 Utah State Aggies are on the verge of adding another defining chapter to one of the nation’s most consistently successful programs.
With one game remaining in the conference tournament, USU has already secured 27 wins and captured the outright Mountain West regular‑season title in just the second year of the Jerrod Calhoun era.
RELATED: USU withstands late Nevada surge to reach Mountain West title game
On to the next! @USUBasketball ADVANCES to the Mountain West Championship Game! 👏 pic.twitter.com/44gjzlymhD
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 14, 2026
After solidifying themselves as a tournament-bound team, Calhoun knows they are playing for seeding in Las Vegas.
Calhoun emphasized the urgency and opportunity ahead following a season-ending win over New Mexico
“We won the Mountain West outright. We got 25 wins, our metrics are great,” Calhoun said. “If you want to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, the hotter you get right now, right? We need some momentum.”
That momentum could be the difference between simply earning a bid and securing Utah State’s best seed in more than four decades.
Championship on the line 🏆
Need Aggie Nation to bring the energy tomorrow! If you’re in Utah still, it’s time to head south!
Let’s make history!#ShowMe x #AggiesAllTheWay https://t.co/nhDIVZOAld
— Cam Walker (@CamWalker_USU) March 14, 2026
The Aggies have twice earned an eight-seed. The first was in 2019, and the second came in 2024 when a team led by Danny Sprinkle took down TCU for the program’s first NCAA tournament win in 23 years.
In other years, USU has been a 10th seed four times (1983, 1988, 2023, 2025), an 11th seed three times, a 12th seed six times, and lower seeds twice, but never breaking into the upper tier of the bracket era.
This could be the year that narrative flips.
Bracketology projections for the Utah State Aggies
Major bracketologists agree the Aggies are hovering around the 8–9 seed line.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and Andy Katz both project a matchup against Iowa, while CBS slots USU against Saint Mary’s. FOX forecasts a showdown with Clemson.
The analytics are even more bullish.
MWN Old Trapper Postgame Show 🏀
Adlan Elamin with Karlie Drew after coming up BIG for the Aggies with a career-high 15 points to lead @USUBasketball to Saturday’s #MWMBB Championship game! pic.twitter.com/mRCMNTHbWN
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 14, 2026
Teamrankings.com gives Utah State a 30.1% chance at earning a seven-seed—something the program hasn’t achieved in the modern seeding era—and nearly a one‑in‑three chance to rise as high as a 5–6 line.
Whether the Aggies land on the eight line—or surge into unprecedented territory—an already landmark season has the potential to become one of the most memorable in Aggie history —if they can seize the moment in Las Vegas.
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The Aggies advance to face the winner of No. 2 San Diego State vs. No. 3 New Mexico on Saturday, March 14. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. MT.
Find Utah State’s entire 2025-26 men’s basketball schedule here.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
