Utah
Will BYU and Utah State face off in March Madness?
The NCAA Tournament is just three weeks away, and the Beehive State should be well represented in the field.
BYU and Utah State are each slated to earn at-large bids for the big dance, while Utah Valley currently sits atop the WAC standings and could make its first-ever tournament appearance by claiming the conference championship.
The majority of current bracket projections have both the Cougars and Aggies hovering between No. 7 and No. 10 seeds, which could lead to a unique outcome — the longtime in-state rivals playing each other in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round.
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Such a matchup has occurred once before, when BYU defeated Utah State 91-82 back in 1971. A 2025 rematch would certainly be compelling television.
Here’s a look at where the local teams are currently projected to play in the NCAA Tournament.
What are the latest bracketology projections for BYU, Utah State and Utah Valley?
ESPN
- BYU: No. 8 seed vs. Utah State in the first round, San Francisco subregional
- Utah State: No. 9 seed vs. BYU in the first round, San Francisco subregional
- Utah Valley: No. 14 seed vs. Texas Tech in the first round, Denver subregional
- Best matchup: Clearly BYU/Utah State. Not only would the basketball itself be highly entertaining, but it would be one of the most memorable sports moments in state history.
CBS Sports
- BYU: No. 10 seed vs. UCLA in the first round, Wichita subregional
- Utah State: No. 8 seed vs. Vanderbilt in the first round, Raleigh subregional
- Utah Valley: No. 14 seed vs. Iowa State in the first round, Milwaukee subregional
- Best matchup: BYU/UCLA. Fans will remember when the Cougars were upset by the underdog, Final Four-bound Bruins in 2021. Revenge on UCLA would be a fitting way for BYU to capture its first tournament victory in more than a decade.
USA Today
- BYU: No. 8 seed vs. Vanderbilt in the first round, Newark subregional
- Utah State: No. 7 seed vs. Nebraska in the first round, Milwaukee subregional
- Utah Valley: No. 14 seed vs. Kentucky in the first round, Denver subregional
- Best matchup: Utah Valley/Kentucky. Mark Pope looking for his first-ever tournament win as a head coach against his former program. Utah Valley looking for its first-ever tournament win against its former head coach. A grudge match for the ages!
The Athletic
- BYU: No. 9 seed vs. UConn in the first round, Raleigh subregional
- Utah State: No. 8 seed vs. Gonzaga in the first round, Lexington subregional
- Utah Valley: No. 14 seed vs. Arizona in the first round, Denver subregional
- Best matchup: BYU/UConn. The Cougars have not defeated a single digit seed in the tournament since 1991. Taking down the two-time defending champion Huskies would be a rewarding way to finally end that streak.
The Washington Post
- BYU: No. 9 seed vs. Illinois in the first round, Lexington subregional
- Utah State: No. 8 seed vs. UConn in the first round, Raleigh subregional
- Utah Valley: No. 14 seed vs. Texas A&M in the first round, Denver subregional
- Best matchup: Utah State/UConn. Jerrod Calhoun has already proven to be a home run hire for the Aggies, but beating Dan Hurley would make it feel like more of a grand slam.
Team Rankings
- BYU: No. 8 seed
- Utah State: No. 9 seed
- Utah Valley: No. 14 seed
When is Selection Sunday?
This year’s NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 16. The selection show announcing the 68-team field will be televised at 4 p.m. MST on CBS.
The 2025 tournament will begin with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, on March 18 and 19, then first and second round games will be played from March 20-23.
The Final Four will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio on April 5 and 7.
Utah
Utah Royals FC Returns Home to Host Racing Louisville FC Chasing Eight Match Unbeaten Streak | Utah Royals
HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, May 14, 2026) — Utah Royals FC (5-2-2, 17 pts) returns to the Beehive State this weekend to host Racing Louisville FC (2-1-5, 7 pts) for the first meeting between the two clubs during the 2026 campaign on Sunday, May 17, at America First Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT.
Utah enters Sunday’s contest following a hard-fought 0-0 road draw against Bay FC at PayPal Park, earning another clean sheet while continuing the club’s streak of never allowing Bay FC to score at home against Utah Royals FC. The point on the road marked Utah’s 11th away point of the 2026 campaign, equaling the club’s combined road-point total from both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The Royals were tested throughout the opening half, with one of Bay FC’s best opportunities coming in the 40th minute when Racheal Kundananji broke forward on a dangerous run through the middle of the pitch before entering the penalty area. Midfielder Narumi came up with a crucial defensive stop, diving in front of the attempt and deflecting the shot away with her leg to preserve the scoreless draw. The sequence highlighted Utah’s defensive commitment, with multiple Royals players sprinting back to disrupt the Bay FC attack and protect the clean sheet heading into halftime.
Utah continued to remain organized defensively throughout the second half, limiting Bay FC’s opportunities and securing its fifth clean sheet of the 2026 season. The result extended the Royals’ unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches while also leaving Bay FC winless against Utah through five all-time meetings between the clubs.
With the result, Utah extended its unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches, continuing the Royals’ impressive run of form heading into Sunday’s home match against Racing Louisville FC.
Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets and his squad now look to build on an impressive seven-match unbeaten streak, alongside multiple consecutive clean sheets against Chicago Stars FC, Seattle Reign FC, Angel City FC, Houston Dash, and most recently Bay FC. The result against Bay extended Utah’s strong run of form as the Royals continue to establish themselves as one of the league’s toughest defensive sides. Utah now returns home looking to carry that momentum into America First Field in front of its home crowd while aiming to extend both its unbeaten streak and defensive success.
Now in his second full season at the helm, Head Coach Coenraets continues molding a balanced squad built on defensive discipline, midfield control, and attacking creativity. Sunday’s contest presents another opportunity for Utah to extend its unbeaten streak to eight consecutive matches while collecting crucial points at home in front of the club’s supporters at America First Field.
Racing Louisville FC enters the matchup with a 2-1-5 record, most recently earning a 3-1 home victory over Portland Thorns FC after suffering back-to-back defeats. Led by Head Coach Bev Yanez, Racing Louisville FC will look to build on its return to winning form and secure all three points on the road at America First Field.
Sunday’s contest marks the tenth match of the 2026 NWSL regular season for the Royals and the ninth for Racing Louisville FC, with both sides aiming to secure valuable early-season points and strengthen their position in the league standings.
WATCH LIVE on Victory+ with Josh Eastern and McCall Zerboni :: Utah Royals FC vs Racing Louisville | America First Field | 6:00 p.m. MT
WATCH LIVE on Victory+ with Kelley O’Hara and Ali Riley :: Utah Royals FC vs Racing Louisville | America First Field | 6:00 p.m. MT
LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 5:30 p.m. MT
Following Sunday’s match, Utah Royals FC will remain in the Beehive State to host inaugural side Denver Summit FC on Saturday, May 23, at America First Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. MT, with tickets available for purchase here.
Utah
‘It means building hope’: USU brings independence to refugee group through chicken coop project
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Refugee communities in Utah are being supplied with farm-fresh eggs and poultry thanks to a collaborative effort between Utah State University and Utah Refugee Goats.
According to Utah Refugee Goats (URG), their goat and poultry farm supplies refugee communities with reliable, affordable and culturally familiar sources of meat. Thanks to Utah State University (USU) agriculture students, it’s getting some ‘egg’stra attention.
Over the last 10 weeks, Brad Borges, a Ph.D candidate for career and technical education, has been taking a hands-on approach with his students to construct a new chicken coop with the support of a mobile construction lab and a $20,000 grant.
According to URG President Abdikadir Hussein, the coop is equipped with fully enclosed roofs and will increase their flock by 40%, meaning faster growth for the Salt Lake City-based farm. As a refugee, though, Hussein said it means even more.
“It means resiliency. It means independence. It means building hope. Hopelessness is something that is killing the most refugees inside,” he expressed. “I came as a refugee, and hope is the last everything that ever came to mind.”
“We feel like even the birds are happy, like they want to get into there,” he added.
From the student perspective, being able to build a project that will be used to generate money for refugee groups was incredibly engaging and inspirational, according to Borges. The sentiment is shared by Joseph Okoh, extension assistant professor of small acreage livestock.
“It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” Okoh said. One, we are getting the coop for the refugee group, these students are going to learn from the construction of the coop, and not only that, everybody is going to be happy to be part of this community to be able to develop a better coop for better production.”
To learn more about issues facing refugees in Utah and how to support them, visit Utah Refugee Goats’ website.
Via 313 is launching a brand new pizza in Utah and it’s four flavors in one!
The DLX 313 is a large, four-flavor pizza is double cut into 16 slices, making it perfect for groups, sharing or first-timers looking to taste it all.
It includes:
- The Detroiter with smoked pepperoni under the cheese and natural casing pepperoni on top
- The Ambassador Bridge loaded with pepperoni, sausage, fresh garlic, oregano and house-made ricotta
- The Cadillac featuring prosciutto, gorgonzola, parmesan, fig preserves and balsamic glaze
- The Bobo Brazil brings the heat with hot calabrese, sausage, red pepper flakes and Mike’s Hot Honey
Alongside the DLX 313, Via 313 is also featuring a full summer LTO lineup through Aug. 2, including the new Elote Pizza, Meat & Cheese Boards, Banana Pudding and seasonal cocktails.
You can learn more at via313.com or by visiting them at 6163 S. State Street in Murray.
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