- Utah State's men, with 2026 Mountain West Player of the Year Mason Falslev back for his senior season, open their first Pac-12 season under new coach Ben Jacobson on Nov. 2 against Idaho State. The women open the same day against Westminster.
- Mason Falslev, Utah State Men's Basketball, Utah State Women's Basketball connect back to Utah State University and the wider basketball picture.
- The story is backed by 15 sources and a visible last-verified date.
October 17, 2026
October 17, 2026
4 min / 973 words
15 official links
Utah State basketball starts a new conference era this winter. Both Aggie programs play their first Pac-12 season in 2026-27, and both open at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan on Monday, November 2: the women against Westminster at 4 p.m. MT and the men against Idaho State at 7:30 p.m. MT. This preview covers Utah State men's basketball and Utah State women's basketball, from the official rosters, schedules and releases read on October 16.
Who coaches Utah State basketball in 2026-27?
Ben Jacobson coaches the men. Utah State named him the 23rd head coach in program history on March 30, 2026. His Utah State biography says he went 397-259 in 20 seasons at Northern Iowa with five NCAA Tournament appearances, the latest in 2026, when his Panthers went 23-13 and won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
Wesley Brooks coaches the women, entering his third season. Utah State named him the 10th head coach in program history in April 2024, and his biography says the 2025-26 team climbed to the program's highest-ever NET ranking during a 6-6 start.
Men: Mason Falslev's senior season
Utah State's men are coming off one of the best seasons in program history. They went 29-7 and 15-5 in the Mountain West, which the program's first-practice release calls the third-most wins in school history, won the conference regular-season and tournament titles, and beat Villanova 86-76 in the NCAA Tournament before losing 78-66 to No. 1 seed Arizona on March 22.
Mason Falslev is back for his senior year. The guard from Benson, Utah, and Sky View High School was the 2026 Mountain West Player of the Year, a First Team All-Mountain West and All-Defensive pick, and a member of the conference All-Tournament team, per his biography. He started all 36 games last season, averaged 16.0 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds, and finished with 112 assists and 70 steals. Entering 2026-27 he has 1,469 career points, 16th in school history, and 192 steals, third. He scored 18 points with five assists in the Aggies' 86-76 exhibition win over Denver on October 10.
Senior forward Karson Templin, the 2026 Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year, also returns after averaging 8.8 points and leading the team with 32 blocks. Redshirt freshmen Brayden Boe and Kingston Tosi complete the returning group. Utah State's release counts 11 newcomers: nine transfers, among them Dallin Hall from Virginia, Will Hornseth from Northern Iowa and Snow College's Sean Felts and Bron Roberts, plus freshmen Jax Allen and Jordan Boyd. Hornseth had 13 points and nine rebounds against Denver.
Women: Aaliyah Gayles and a rebuilding roster
Utah State's women went 6-24 and 2-18 in the Mountain West last season, ending with a 75-58 loss to Grand Canyon in the conference tournament on March 7. Brooks' third team adds a group of transfers listed on the official roster from Missouri, Arizona State, Providence and Arkansas.
Senior guard Aaliyah Gayles of Las Vegas, who began her career at USC, leads the returners. Her biography says she started 21 of 22 games last season and led the team with 12.2 points and 1.6 steals per game, with a season-high 24 points against Grand Canyon. Junior forward Macie Brown of Millville, Utah, also returns.
The schedule carries a milestone. Utah State's October 15 release lists three national television games, which it calls a program record: at USC on November 8 on the Big Ten Network, at TCU on November 22 on ESPN2, and Oregon State in Logan on January 9 on The CW, which the release calls the first Utah State home women's basketball game ever broadcast on national television.
Preseason dates and the opening stretch
The men play two more exhibitions: at Saint Mary's on October 17 at 8 p.m. MT and at home against Santa Clara on October 24 at 2 p.m. MT. Utah State's October 14 release says the men will play at least 23 televised games, including all 16 Pac-12 games, split among The CW, USA Network, CBS Sports Network and FS1. The earliest televised game the release lists is UC San Diego in Logan on November 13 on The CW, and the game at BYU on December 9 is on FS1. The Pac-12's members this season, per Utah State, are Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Oregon State, Washington State, Gonzaga, Texas State and Utah State.
The women play one exhibition, at Grand Canyon on October 27 at 4 p.m. MT. Utah State's schedule lists the November 2 Westminster opener without an exhibition label; Westminster's lists it as an exhibition. They host Loyola Marymount on November 6 and visit USC on November 8.
How to watch Utah State basketball
Utah State's October 14 release says streaming details for its six remaining home non-conference games, the Idaho State opener among them, will be announced later. Men's tickets are on Utah State's official ticket site, though the men's releases note that season tickets have sold out. Radio and live stats are linked from games on the official schedules. The Utah sports schedule lists every Aggie game day alongside the rest of the state.
Key facts:
- Men's opener: vs. Idaho State, Mon., Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m. MT, Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Logan
- Women's opener: vs. Westminster, Mon., Nov. 2, 4 p.m. MT, Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
- Coaches: Ben Jacobson (men, first season; 397-259 in 20 seasons at Northern Iowa); Wesley Brooks (women, third season)
- Conference: Pac-12, first season for both programs
- 2025-26 records: men 29-7, Mountain West regular-season and tournament champions, NCAA Tournament second round; women 6-24
- Player to know: Mason Falslev, 2026 Mountain West Player of the Year, 16.0 points and 5.7 rebounds a game
- Women's player to know: Aaliyah Gayles, team-leading 12.2 points a game in 2025-26
- TV: men at least 23 televised games; women three national TV games, a program record
