Expanded Tournament Structure
The Mountain West Conference announced a significant change to its men’s and women’s basketball championships, expanding the bracket to include six automatic byes for the top‑seeded teams. This year’s format moves from four to six byes, giving the conference’s strongest programs a direct path into the quarterfinals.
The tournaments will be staged at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus from March 7 through March 13. The women’s championship game will close the event on March 10, while the men’s final is scheduled for March 13.
Sponsorship and Broadcast
Palms Casino Resort has been named the presenting sponsor, adding a high‑profile commercial partnership to the championship series. Broadcast rights have been secured across a trio of platforms: CBS, CBS Sports Network and the streaming service MW+, ensuring extensive coverage for fans across television and digital channels.
In the first round, the eighth seed will meet the ninth seed, and the seventh seed will face the tenth seed. The winners of those games will then square off against the third‑seed versus sixth‑seed matchup and the fourth‑seed versus fifth‑seed matchup in the quarterfinals, while the top two seeds await the victors.
Exact tip‑off times have not yet been released, but the conference has indicated that a full schedule, including broadcast windows, will be announced in the coming weeks. This staggered rollout of information builds anticipation as teams prepare for the new competitive landscape.