Utah State Opens Ben Jacobson Era Against Idaho State
Utah State Men's Basketball begins the 2026-27 season under new head coach Ben Jacobson, who arrives after 20 years at Northern Iowa.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Basketball
Utah State University Men's Basketball opens the 2026-27 season Monday, November 2, against Idaho State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under new head coach Ben Jacobson. The program enters its inaugural Pac-12 season after winning the Mountain West regular-season and tournament championship and reaching the NCAA tournament round of 32.
Why it matters
Jacobson replaces Jerrod Calhoun, who left in March for the University of Cincinnati, and the team is retooling around several incoming transfers. The season marks a transition from Mountain West play to the Pac-12 while the roster adjusts to a new coaching staff.
Mason Falslev, the 2025-26 Mountain West Player of the Year, averaged 16 points, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game last season. Will Hornseth averaged 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game at Northern Iowa, and Dallin Hall averaged 5.9 points and 4.4 assists at Virginia.
The players
Ben Jacobson
Jacobson is a veteran college basketball coach who spent 20 seasons at the University of Northern Iowa with a .605 winning percentage before taking over at Utah State.
Mason Falslev
Falslev is a guard who was named the 2025-26 Mountain West Player of the Year and returns as the team's leading scoring and playmaking option.
The details
Jacobson arrives after 20 seasons at Northern Iowa, where he led the program to five NCAA tournament appearances, and he brings Hornseth with him as a transfer. Utah State went 3-0 in preseason games against Denver, Saint Mary's and Santa Clara, and Hornseth and Hall are projected to start.
Timeline
March 2026: Jerrod Calhoun leaves Utah State for the University of Cincinnati.
Thanksgiving 2026: The Acrisure Series, a 26-team tournament, is played.
Monday, November 2, 2026: Utah State opens its season against Idaho State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Season Trajectory
Utah State's 2025-26 Mountain West regular-season and tournament championships and its round-of-32 NCAA finish set a high bar for the program. The 2026-27 campaign tests whether that success carries over under Jacobson and into the Pac-12.
Hornseth is expected to start, which gives fantasy and bracket watchers a new name to track early in the season. Falslev's return as a 16-point, 3.1-assist scorer makes him the most important player to watch for Utah State's offense.
The takeaway
Jacobson's first season will show whether a transfer-heavy roster can match last year's Mountain West success while adjusting to Pac-12 competition. Fans tracking the team should watch how quickly the newcomers fit into the lineup.
What happens next
Utah State opens its season Monday, November 2, 2026, against Idaho State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, and the team plays in the 26-team Acrisure Series over Thanksgiving.
Further reading
For more on the program's roster and schedule, see Basketball coverage across the region.
