BYU Earns No. 6 Seed in NCAA Tournament

Cougars to face Texas or NC State in Portland after up-and-down season

Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:19am

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The BYU Cougars have earned a No. 6 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, despite facing adversity throughout the season with injuries. The team will face either Texas or North Carolina State in the first round in Portland, Oregon. BYU coach Kevin Young is optimistic about his team's chances, noting they've found their identity on the defensive end recently.

Why it matters

BYU's tournament berth comes after a rollercoaster season that saw the team lose several key games, including at home to UCF and on the road to West Virginia and Cincinnati. However, the Cougars have regained momentum, knocking off ranked Texas Tech and making a strong showing against No. 2 seed Houston in the Big 12 tournament. Their No. 6 seed represents a solid tournament position after the adversity they've faced.

The details

The Cougars will open tournament play on Thursday in Portland, with the game time and television network to be announced. BYU has faced 13 tournament teams this season, going 8-8 against them. The team also played two NCAA Tournament teams in exhibitions, losing to Nebraska but beating North Carolina. If BYU advances to the Sweet 16, they would play in San Jose, California.

  • BYU will play its first-round NCAA Tournament game on Thursday.
  • The Cougars lost three straight games, including at home to UCF and on the road to West Virginia and Cincinnati, a couple weeks ago.

The players

AJ Dybantsa

A superstar freshman for the BYU Cougars.

Kevin Young

The head coach of the BYU Cougars.

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What they’re saying

“'Obviously going into the tournament you wanted to be a higher seed, but as long as you're dancing, that's all that really matters.'”

— AJ Dybantsa

“'We just stayed with it, and we've gotten some momentum at the right time. Our guys understand and really believe that they can go out and guard anybody, where that hadn't been the case for a lot of the year.'”

— Kevin Young, BYU Head Coach

What’s next

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The takeaway

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