Utah State Clinches NCAA Tournament Berth with Mountain West Title

Aggies defeat San Diego State 73-62 in conference championship game

Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:52am

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The Utah State Aggies, led by MJ Collins' 20 points, defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 73-62 to win the Mountain West Conference tournament championship and secure an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. This marks the Aggies' third and final Mountain West title, as both Utah State and San Diego State are set to depart the conference for the new-look Pac-12 next season.

Why it matters

The Mountain West title game was a high-stakes matchup between two of the conference's top teams, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This victory caps off a successful season for Utah State, which also won the Mountain West regular season championship.

The details

Utah State guard MJ Collins led the way with 20 points, while San Diego State guard Reese Waters-Dixon scored 20 points in the losing effort. The Aggies pulled away in the second half to clinch the conference tournament championship and their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
  • Utah State won the Mountain West regular season title earlier this season.

The players

MJ Collins

A standout guard for the Utah State Aggies who scored a game-high 20 points in the Mountain West championship game.

Reese Waters-Dixon

The leading scorer for the San Diego State Aztecs, tallying 20 points in the losing effort.

Jerrod Calhoun

The head coach of the Utah State Aggies, who led his team to the Mountain West regular season and tournament titles in their final season in the conference.

Brian Dutcher

The head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs, who fell short of winning the Mountain West championship in their last season in the conference.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Aggies will now await their seeding and opponent for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which will be announced on Selection Sunday.

The takeaway

Utah State's Mountain West championship victory caps off a successful season for the Aggies, who will look to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament as they depart the conference for the Pac-12next year.