Editor’s note: this story will be updated each day this week in the lead-up to Selection Sunday, when the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed.
It’s Championship Week and for teams like BYU, Utah State and Utah Valley, it’s that last opportunity before Selection Sunday to make an impression before the 68-team men’s basketball NCAA Tournament field is released.
BYU and Utah State entered their respective conference tournaments as locks to make the NCAA Tournament, while Utah Valley is the top seed in the WAC tournament and is in good position to earn the league’s automatic bid.
Among other in-state Division I programs, Weber State was eliminated from the Big Sky tournament Monday night, Utah lost in the first round of the Big 12 tournament, Southern Utah fell in the WAC tournament quarterfinals and Utah Tech’s postseason run ended in the WAC semifinals.
Could the state of Utah be represented by three schools in this year’s NCAA Tournament? We’ll find out between now and Sunday.
The Deseret News is taking a look at the latest men’s basketball bracketology projections, as in-state teams go throughout the week. Check back each day for how those projections change based on results.
Sunday update
It’s finally here, Selection Sunday.
BYU and Utah State will found out their seeding and who they’ll be playing in the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is revealed at 4 p.m. MDT on CBS.
In the final projections ahead of the reveal, Utah State — which earned the Mountain West’s automatic bid with a convincing win over San Diego State Saturday in the championship game — has a pair of bracketologists believing the Aggies could earn a No. 7 seed.
Most projections have Utah State as a No. 8 seed.
There is a consensus that BYU will be a No. 6 seed from the NCAA committee for the fourth straight time.
Utah Valley, long projected as the WAC representative in the NCAAs, lost in agonizing fashion to Cal Baptist in Saturday’s late-night WAC championship game and just missed out on make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
BYU’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 SMU/Texas in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 South Florida in first round, West Region
- On3: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 SMU/Texas in first round, South Region
- The Athletic: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/NC State in first round, South Region
- SB Nation: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 South Florida in first round, West Region
- Hoops HQ: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri/SMU in first round, South Region
- USA Today: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri/SMU in first round, West Region
- NCAA.com: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/SMU in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 23; KenPom ranking: No. 23 (⬇️ 1); WAB (Wins Above Bubble) ranking: No. 22
Utah State’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, Midwest Region
- On3: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Texas A&M in first round, East Region
- The Athletic: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Ohio State in first round, West Region
- SB Nation: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 Texas A&M in first round, West Region
- Hoops HQ: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 UCF in first round, South Region
- USA Today: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 Santa Clara in first round, South Region
- NCAA.com: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, South Region
NET ranking: No. 26 (⬆️ 1); KenPom ranking: No. 30 (⬆️ 2); WAB ranking: No. 30 (⬆️ 2)
Saturday update
Two Utah schools will be playing for a conference tournament championship Saturday — Utah State faces San Diego State in the MWC tournament, while Utah Valley takes on Cal Baptist for the WAC tournament title.
The Aggies, like BYU, are viewed as a lock, and the majority of bracketologists have Utah State as a No. 8 seed right now. Could the Aggies jump to a No. 7 seed if they win the Mountain West tournament championship for the third time and first since 2020?
Utah State could also play spoiler to San Diego State’s tournament hopes — the Aztecs are a bubble team and likely need a win Saturday to make the NCAA Tournament.
UVU, meanwhile, has long been the projected automatic qualifier from the WAC, though Cal Baptist has been on the heels of the Wolverines, who were conference regular-season champions.
Can UVU win late Saturday night and earn the school’s first bid to the NCAA Tournament?
For BYU, CBS Sports moved the Cougars back up to a No. 6 seed, which is viewed as the most likely seed for the Provo school heading into the weekend. BYU has been a No. 6 seed each of the past three times it made the NCAA Tournament.
Today’s games for Utah schools
Championship, Mountain West tournament (Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas)
- No. 1 Utah State vs. No. 2 San Diego State, 4 p.m. MDT (CBS)
Championship, WAC tournament (Orleans Arena, Las Vegas)
- No. 1 Utah Valley vs. No. 2 Cal Baptist, 10 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
BYU’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/SMU in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) in first round, West Region
- On3: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri/SMU in first round, South Region
- The Athletic: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/VCU in first round, South Region
- SB Nation: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas A&M in first round, West Region
- Fox Sports: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/SMU in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 23; KenPom ranking: No. 22; WAB (Wins Above Bubble) ranking: No. 22 (⬇️ 1)
Utah State’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Saint Louis in first round, East Region
- On3: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 TCU in first round, East Region
- The Athletic: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Ohio State in first round, West Region
- SB Nation: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 UCF in first round, West Region
- Fox Sports: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 27 (⬆️ 1); KenPom ranking: No. 32; WAB ranking: No. 32
Utah Valley’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Virginia in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
- On3: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt in first round, South Region
- The Athletic: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Alabama in first round, West Region
- SB Nation: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 St. John’s in first round, South Region
- Fox Sports: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in first round, South Region
NET ranking: No. 84 (⬇️ 1); KenPom ranking: No. 89; WAB ranking: No. 75 (⬆️ 1)
Friday update
BYU’s Championship Week run came to an end Thursday, as the Cougars lost a tough 73-66 decision against No. 5 Houston.
How did that outcome affect BYU’s latest bracketology projections? While the majority of projections kept the Cougars locked into a No. 6 NCAA seed even with the loss, two publications, CBS Sports and USA Today, dropped BYU to a No. 7 seed.
Meanwhile, Utah State, which easily beat UNLV in the MWC tournament quarterfinals Thursday, stayed in the No. 8 seed range with most bracketologists. USA Today, though, likes the Aggies as a No. 7 seed.
In the WAC, Utah Tech survived an Abilene Christian comeback to advance to the tournament semifinals, while UVU will start playing tonight against UT Arlington.
Today’s games for Utah schools
Semifinals, Mountain West tournament (Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas)
- No. 1 Utah State vs. No. 5 Nevada, 7:30 p.m. MDT (CBS Sports Network)
Semifinals, WAC tournament (Orleans Arena, Las Vegas)
- No. 1 Utah Valley vs. No. 4 UT Arlington, 7 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
- No. 3 Utah Tech vs. No. 2 Cal Baptist, 9:30 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
BYU’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/SMU in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 Miami (Ohio) in first round, West Region
- USA Today: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 NC State in first round, South Region
- On3: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/VCU in first round, South Region
- The Athletic: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Texas/VCU in first round, South Region
NET ranking: No. 23; KenPom ranking: No. 22; WAB (Wins Above Bubble) ranking: No. 21
Utah State’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, Midwest Region
- CBS Sports: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Saint Mary’s in first round, South Region
- USA Today: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 Texas A&M in first round, Midwest Region
- On3: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 TCU in first round, Midwest Region
- The Athletic: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Texas A&M in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 28 (⬆️ 1); KenPom ranking: No. 32 (⬆️ 4); WAB ranking: No. 32 (⬆️ 2)
Utah Valley’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in first round, South Region
- CBS Sports: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
- USA Today: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Purdue in first round, East Region
- On3: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Kansas in first round, South Region
- The Athletic: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 83; KenPom ranking: No. 89; WAB ranking: No. 76 (⬆️ 2)
Thursday update
Again, there wasn’t a lot of change for BYU, Utah State and Utah Valley in the latest bracketology projections, with only the Cougars playing (and winning) on Wednesday.
Things could see some change, though, with BYU and Utah State both playing quarterfinal games Thursday.
In 801 Bracketology’s updated seed list from Thursday morning, BYU stayed at No. 6, Utah State remained a No. 9 seed and UVU stayed at No. 13.
Today’s games for Utah schools
Quarterfinals, Big 12 tournament (T-Mobile Center, Kansas City)
- No. 10 BYU vs. No. 2 Houston, 5 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
Quarterfinals, Mountain West tournament (Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas)
- No. 1 Utah State vs. No. 8 UNLV, 1 p.m. MDT (CBS Sports Network)
Quarterfinals, WAC tournament (Orleans Arena, Las Vegas)
- No. 5 Southern Utah vs. No. 4 UT Arlington, 7 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
- No. 3 Utah Tech vs. No. 6 Abilene Christian, 9:30 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
BYU’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 SMU/Auburn in first round, South Region
- CBS Sports: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri in first round, West Region
- USA Today: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) in first round, West Region
- On3: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri/SMU in first round, West Region
- Fox Sports (updated Wednesday): No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 23 (⬆️ 1); KenPom ranking: No. 22 (⬆️ 3); WAB (Wins Above Bubble) ranking: No. 21
Utah State’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Clemson in first round, Midwest Region
- CBS Sports: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 NC State in first round, Midwest Region
- USA Today: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 Ohio State in first round, South Region
- On3: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, West Region
- Fox Sports (updated Wednesday): No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Clemson in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 29; KenPom ranking: No. 36 (⬆️ 1); WAB ranking: No. 34
Utah Valley’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in first round, Midwest Region
- CBS Sports: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
- USA Today: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Purdue in first round, East Region
- On3: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt in first round, East Region
- Fox Sports (updated Wednesday): No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in first round, South Region
NET ranking: No. 83 (⬆️ 1); KenPom ranking: No. 89; WAB ranking: No. 78
Wednesday update
Not much changed in the bracketology projections for the three in-state schools, as BYU was the only one playing Tuesday.
Moving forward, we’ll be sharing the daily bracketology updates from ESPN, CBS Sports and 801 Bracketology, as well as one or more of the latest from other national publications who do not update their projections daily.
When those publications last updated their bracketology projections will be noted.
Today’s games for Utah schools
Second round, Big 12 tournament (T-Mobile Center, Kansas City)
- No. 10 BYU vs. No. 7 Kansas State, 5 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
BYU’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Santa Clara in first round, West Region
- 801 Bracketology: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri in first round, West Region
- The Athletic (updated Tuesday): No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Santa Clara/SMU in first round, South Region
NET ranking: No. 24; KenPom ranking: No. 25; WAB (Wins Above Bubble) ranking: No. 21 (⬆️ 2)
Utah State’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, East Region
- CBS Sports: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, East Region
- 801 Bracketology: No. 9 seed, vs. No. 8 Clemson in first round, Midwest Region
- The Athletic (updated Tuesday): No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Texas A&M, West Region
NET ranking: No. 29; KenPom ranking: No. 36; WAB ranking: No. 34
Utah Valley’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in first round, Midwest Region
- CBS Sports: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
- 801 Bracketology: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in first round, South Region
- The Athletic (updated Tuesday): No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
NET ranking: No. 84 (⬆️ 1); KenPom ranking: No. 89 (⬆️ 1); WAB ranking: No. 78 (⬆️ 1)
Tuesday update
For now, three Utah schools — BYU, Utah State and Utah Valley — are showing up in the latest bracketology updates.
Today’s games for Utah schools
First round, Big 12 tournament (T-Mobile Center, Kansas City)
- No. 16 Utah vs. No. 9 Cincinnati, 1 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
- No. 10 BYU vs. No. 15 Kansas State, 5 p.m. MDT (ESPN+)
BYU’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 UCF in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Missouri in first round, West Region
- USA Today: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) in first round, West Region
- NCAA.com: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 Santa Clara in first round, West Region
- Hoops HQ: No. 6 seed, vs. No. 11 VCU/Stanford winner in first round, South Region
NET ranking: No. 24; KenPom ranking: No. 25; WAB (Wins Above Bubble) ranking: No. 23
Utah State’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 TCU in first round, South Region
- CBS Sports: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Saint Mary’s in first round, Midwest Region
- USA Today: No. 7 seed, vs. No. 10 Texas in first round, Midwest Region
- NCAA.com: No. 8 seed, vs. No. 9 Iowa in first round, South Region
- Hoops HQ: No. 9 seed, vs. No. 8 Georgia in first round, Midwest Region
NET ranking: No. 29; KenPom ranking: No. 36; WAB ranking: No. 34
Utah Valley’s current outlook
- ESPN: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
- CBS Sports: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
- USA Today: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Purdue in first round, East Region
- NCAA.com: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Gonzaga in first round, West Region
- Hoops HQ: No. 13 seed, vs. No. 4 Alabama in first round, Midwest Region
NET ranking: No. 85; KenPom ranking: No. 90; WAB ranking: No. 79