For the third consecutive year, BYU is headed back to the NCAA Tournament.
When the bracket was revealed on Selection Sunday, the Cougars learned they will enter the field as a No. 6 seed in the West Region after finishing the season 23–11 overall and 9–9 in Big 12 Conference play.
If that seed sounds familiar, it should. BYU has now landed on the No. 6 line for the fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance dating back to 2021.
The Cougars will open their tournament run Thursday in Portland against the winner of the First Four matchup between Texas and North Carolina State, who meet Tuesday night in Dayton.
Both teams were among the final four selections into the tournament field.
It creates a slightly unusual situation for BYU, which will have to prepare for two very different opponents with only a couple of days of clarity before tipoff.
Either way, the Cougars’ path in the West Region won’t be simple.
If BYU advances, it would likely set up a second-round matchup with No. 3 seed Gonzaga, assuming the Bulldogs handle No. 14 seed Kennesaw State in their opening game.
Such a matchup would also bring a familiar opponent back into the picture. Before joining the Big 12, BYU spent more than a decade facing Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference, where the Bulldogs won nine of 11 conference tournament titles.
Gonzaga enters the tournament with just three losses this season and has again looked like one of the most efficient teams in the country down the stretch.
For BYU, reaching the Sweet 16 would likely require a near-perfect performance.