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Men’s March Madness Snubs: San Diego State, Auburn Left Out of NCAA Tournament Field
Much of the conversation every year after the men’s NCAA tournament selection show is about who didn’t get in. And this year in particular, with all the wild narratives that took off late in the year debating the importance of strength of schedule and how to evaluate teams like Miami (Ohio) and Auburn, we were guaranteed to get at least one team with every reason to be upset that their name wasn’t called.
Which teams have the biggest gripe about not being selected to go dancing? Here’s a look at five with the most valid complaints.
San Diego State and the Mountain West
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez likely has among the biggest gripes with how her league was treated on Selection Sunday. The league had six top-75 KenPom teams, but only its champion, Utah State, is dancing after San Diego State was the third team out. New Mexico was also in the bubble mix coming down the stretch. For a league that has gotten four or more bids in the last four years, it’s hard to believe just one Mountain West team will have a chance to dance this season.
San Diego State’s case was the strongest. It had boosted its résumé this week by beating Colorado State and New Mexico in the Mountain West tournament, and hung right with Utah State in the title game most of the way. The Aztecs challenged themselves in the nonconference schedule, playing in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas and a neutral-site game vs. Arizona. Unfortunately, the Aztecs took a difficult Quad 3 loss to Troy (an eventual NCAA tournament team) in mid-November that haunted them. Teams unfortunately are rarely rewarded for playing buy games against better mid-majors instead of the dregs of Division I.
And New Mexico looked in good shape in mid-February, but finished poorly with losses in four of six to close the season. Some of those were heartbreakers: a two-point defeat to San Diego State, a four-point loss to Utah State and two more single-digit defeats against Nevada and Colorado State. Like SDSU, the Lobos were hurt by an early bad loss, falling to rival New Mexico State on Nov. 15 for their worst defeat of the season.
Auburn
It’s certainly hard to be sympathetic for Steven Pearl’s Tigers after losing 16 times in the regular season and posting a pedestrian 17–16 record. That being said, everything else about the Tigers’ profile was NCAA tournament caliber. Auburn beat Florida on the road in Gainesville, Fla., the best win of any bubble team by a long shot. They also beat Big East champion St. John’s on a neutral court in November and blew out Arkansas in January. And from a metrics standpoint, Auburn was the strongest overall profile to miss the cut.
Is that enough for me to say Auburn deserved to be in? Maybe not. But Auburn’s schedule was so difficult that perhaps the committee could have been a bit more forgiving of its very middling record.
Oklahoma
In a season in which it seemed like just about every bubble team stumbled to the finish line, perhaps the committee could have rewarded an Oklahoma team that soared in the season’s final month. In February, the Sooners won on the road at Vanderbilt, a monster résumé-topping win over a top-15 team in the NET. They also notably won late-season matchups against several of the league’s bubble teams, including winning on the road at Texas (one of the last teams in) and blowing out both Missouri and Texas A&M that landed on the No. 10 line. If the objective is to select the best teams at the present moment, Oklahoma certainly seemed more dangerous than some of the teams that enter the Big Dance on a whimper.
Instead, it’s yet another bubble heartbreak for the Sooners under Porter Moser, who have made a living coming up just short. The Sooners had a strong case in both 2022 and ’24 but were left out. This year, Oklahoma was the first team out, meaning that if not for bid steals in the Atlantic 10 (VCU) and MAC (Akron), the Sooners would have snuck in.
Indiana
You might not call Indiana a snub, but the Hoosiers were in the first four out in spite of their brutal finish. Had the Hoosiers not lost to Northwestern in ugly fashion in the Big Ten tournament, it’s possible Indiana might have been able to sneak in. In the end though, going from 17–8 to 18–14 will elicit little sympathy from most.
That said, Darian DeVries is another coach who can’t be enjoying Selection Sunday lately. This year’s snub was far less egregious than last year’s shocking exclusion at West Virginia though.
Seton Hall
This wasn’t as egregious as two years ago, when Seton Hall was left out in spite of a 13–7 Big East record. But Shaheen Holloway can’t be too happy about the lack of respect for his Pirates and the Big East after not even coming close to the field despite winning 21 games. In the end, the Pirates just were victims of too many close calls, losing single-digit games to St. John’s and UConn twice each and in controversial fashion against UCLA in Maui. I maintain the Pirates might have been dangerous despite an anemic offense had they gotten in.
More March Madness from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
Here is some of the dining news from across San Diego County, as well as some upcoming events for foodies.
Cala café opens in La Jolla: From 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Amy de Leon will host the grand opening of her new restaurant Cala La Jolla Café in La Jolla’s historic Arcade building. Cala will offer what she calls an “omakase” coffee and matcha experience, breakfast and lunch menus and fresh-made pastries. De Leon, a real estate agent, also owns a coffee shop on the UC San Diego campus. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 7910 Girard Ave., La Jolla. 858-333-8610, calalajolla.com.
Board & Brew opens in Midway District: This sandwich-and-draft beer quick-service restaurant chain has opened a new location near the USS Midway Museum. Founded in 1979, the company now dozens of locations in California, Arizona and Texas. Shop hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 825 N. Harbor St., Suite 109, San Diego. boardandbrew.com.
Vincenzo debuts pasta program: Vicenzo Cucina & Lounge in Little Italy has introduced an in-house pasta program powered by its new artisan pasta-making machine that guests can see churning out different varieties of pasta in the restaurants’ front window. The handmade pasta wil be served with lunch and dinner entrées. 550 W. Date St., Suite A, San Diego. vincenzosd.com
Urban Plates new summer menu: Urban Plates, with 22 locations statewide including Carlsbad, Del Mar and La Jolla, has unveiled new drinks and dishes this month for its summer menu. New dishes include a BBQ jalapeño cheesebuger, Southwest grilled chicken salad and a superfood grilled chicken salad. There’s also a new lineup of refreshing fruit-based “cooloer” drinks priced at $4.50. They include strawberry basil lemonade, pineapple coconut lime, organic lemonade and dragon fruit and strawberry. urbanplates.com
Del Mar festival lineup announced: This year’s Del Mar Wine & Food Festival, returning with seven events Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, has unveiled some of the culinary headliners who will be cooking at the event. They are Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman; cookbook author and TV food show judge Aarti Sequeira; Camelback Mountain executive chef Beau MacMillan; “Top Chef” victor and now chef/co-owner of Huson in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, Buddha Lo; cookbook author and Weelicious.com media platform founder Catherine McCord; L.A.-based chef Jackson Kalb; Pei Wei culinary executive, Food Network host and contestant and cookbook author Jet Tila; Clutch Chicken restaurang group founder and TV cooking show contestant Kelsey Murphy; chef, author TV personality and Morph Hospitality Group co-founder Maneet Chauhan; and James Beard-nominated chef of the Colorado restaurant Mawa’s Kitchen, Mawa McQueen. Tickets are now on sale at delmar.wine
Lion’s Share + Animae family-style collab: On July 9, two downtown restaurants will collaborate on ANIMAENIACS, a family-style dinner for parties of six. The Lion’s Share chef Dante Romero and Animae chef Tara Monsod will create a multicourse meal that draws on Romero’s Mexican heritage and Monsod’s Filipino heritage. The all-inclusive meal will include three beverages per person including cocktails, beer or non-alcoholic, and an after-party. Seatings are available at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. July 9. $1,080 for a party of six. The Lion’s Share, 629 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Reservations at exploretock.com/the-lions-share-san-diego.
Tiki Oasis returns: The annual Tiki Oasis convention, which takes place each summer at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley, has announced its 2026 dates and theme. This year’s 26th convention, titled “Psychadelic Tiki,” will run Aug. 5-9. This year’s convention will include an art exhibition, more than 40 seminars, a 150-vendor marketplace, live entertainment and more. There will also be a sunset luau dinner at The Catamaran Resort. Details at tikioasis.com.
Pam Kragen, Union-Tribune
The San Diego State Aztecs are exuding a vibe that is catching recruits’ attention both on and off the field.
The latest is Travon Garrison, a 1,000-yard receiver at Damien High in La Verne, who announced his commitment to the Aztecs on Tuesday afternoon.
“I thank God for this opportunity. Grateful to all the coaches who helped me through this process. I’m excited to announce my commitment to San Diego State University!” he posted on X.
On3.com posted a picture of Garrison, some family members and SDSU coach Sean Lewis at Snapdragon Stadium. Garrison is wearing sunglasses and a sign in the picture reads, “Speed Limit None,” with the interlocking SD logo forming the “S” in Speed.
Why Travon Garrison committed to SDSU
“I’ve been on campus at San Diego State a lot,” Garrison said in an interview with on3.com. “Every time I go, I feel more comfortable, more at home. The city of San Diego is great, there’s a lot to do, the weather is nice and it feels like a place I can see myself living and growing in for the next few years.”
He added that he “really clicked well” with wideouts coach Matthew Middleton, and that he thinks he will “fit in really well with the offense. It’s very similar to what we run at Damien, so I feel comfortable with it and believe it will allow me to play fast and showcase my strengths.”
BREAKING: La Verne (Calif.) Damien WR Travon Garrison has committed to San Diego State and broke down why he chose the Aztecs
“Everything about SDSU, the coaches and the environment made it the right place for me.”
Intel: https://t.co/GW6CDqLW6Y pic.twitter.com/e2YajRQjGy
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) June 23, 2026
The 6-foot, 185-pound Garrison told the recruiting website that it was a tough decision after making official visits to SDSU and Washington State, which is part of the reconfigured Pac-12 that the Aztecs will officially join on July 1.
“I had to think about what was best for me, but in the end San Diego State felt like home,” Garrison told on3.com. “Everything about the program, the coaches, and the environment made it the right place for me.”
The three-star had an impressive list of offers that, besides SDSU and WSU, included bids from Kansas, UCLA, Washington, Utah, West Virginia and Colorado State.
As a junior, he had 46 passes for 978 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games and one three-touchdown game.
How Garrison could fit in at SDSU
Garrison is at least the fifth wideout from the class of 2027 to commit to the Aztecs, which should make for some lively competition a year from now.
The Aztecs currently have an intriguing wide receiver room. Although the group was hit by injuries last year, when the Aztecs had an impressive turnaround season that ended with a 9-4 record, they do return all three starters and their top four pass catchers.
The most eye-catching development in spring was when Bert Emanuel Jr. switched from backup quarterback to wide receiver. That will allow him to showcase his big-play skills while sharing the field with returning starting quarterback Jayden Denegal. They are both seniors.
The wideout corps is senior-heavy.
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