USU’s Ben Jacobson excited to feel ‘crazy energy’ of the Spectrum
Jun 9, 2026, 2:01 PM
LOGAN, Utah – First-year Utah State basketball coach Ben Jacobson is eager to experience the Spectrum and the home-court edge that has made it one of the toughest places to play in the country.
“This place has got a crazy energy about it,” Jacobson said. “This home court is one of the top 10 environments in the entire country.”
Jacobson shared those thoughts and more during an appearance on college basketball insider Jon Rothstein’s Inside College Basketball Now podcast on Tuesday, June 9.
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Ben Jacobson on INSIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOW.
*Leaving Northern Iowa
*Utah State’s history of success
*The new Pac-12
*Mason Falslev
*And much morehttps://t.co/c9JLel3odd (Apple) https://t.co/EsZxIkcHSA (Spotify)https://t.co/RzR2Cjuqyw (YouTube)— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 9, 2026
For Jacobson, the appeal of Utah State goes beyond the atmosphere. He pointed to the program’s resources, reputation, and recent success as reasons the job stood out.
“We’ve got some resources and some things here at Utah State that are terrific,” Jacobson said of taking the head coach position. “Anybody that knows anything about college basketball knows that this is quite a spot.”
He takes over in the middle of one of the most successful five-year stretches in program history. Despite cycling through four head coaches since 2021, the Aggies have reached the NCAA tournament in each of the past three seasons and picked up two tournament wins along the way.
A major reason for that sustained success has been the program’s dominance at home, where the Spectrum continues to give Utah State a clear edge.
Utah State is 58-6 at home since the 2022-23 season, a mark that underscores why Jacobson views the arena as such an important part of the program’s identity.
“Coaches that have come here multiple times, they all say the same thing: ‘This place is different,’” he said.
Just as important, Jacobson believes the returning talent on the roster gives Utah State a strong foundation to match the expectations already in place.
Mason Falslev and Karson Templin give Aggies a familiar core with high floor
After 20 seasons leading Northern Iowa, Jacobson arrived in Logan focused on one immediate priority: building a roster.
That process began with Utah State’s returning core.
With Mountain West Player of the Year Mason Falslev and Sixth Man of the Year Karson Templin sitting in the front row at his introductory press conference, Jacobson was eager to connect with both players.
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“I talked at my press conference about just wanting to get my suit and tie off and get to the part that I’m really here for. And that’s to talk to Mason and Karson,” Jacobson said.
Within days, both had agreed to remain in Logan for their senior seasons, giving Jacobson an important early win as he works to shape his first Utah State team.
How invigorating is it for Ben Jacobson to lead Utah State into the new Pac-12?https://t.co/c9JLel3odd (Apple) https://t.co/EsZxIkcHSA (Spotify)https://t.co/RzR2Cjuqyw (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/TUUapVsXlT
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 9, 2026
“Our best player from last year, Mason Falslev, is a tremendous player,” Jacobson said. “Getting to know him the last five or six weeks, he’s a great player, but I tell you what, he is an unbelievable young guy.”
Falslev’s return gives Utah State an established scorer after he averaged 15.9 points per game last season, along with the kind of relentless energy that impacts both ends of the floor.
The fan favorite Templin became a fan favorite thanks to his tireless work ethic and crowd-pleasing enthusiasm.
Together, Falslev and Templin give Jacobson a familiar, proven core and provide Utah State with a strong foundation as the program enters a new era.
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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.
