Saturday night on network TV? BYU has seen this movie before

BYU center Keba Keita (13) tries to dunk during NCAA Tournament game against Virginia Commonwealth at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The Cougars prevailed and will face Wisconsin on Saturday night, hoping to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.

If Saturday night has a familiar ring to it, there is a good reason. The Cougars are back under a spotlight that has rarely graced the athletic program — a weekend prime-time slot on network television.

Cougars on the air NCAA Tournament Round of 32 No. 6 seed BYU (25-9) vs. No. 3 seed Wisconsin (27-9) Saturday, 5:45 p.m. MDT

At Ball Arena

TV: CBS

CBS Radio: BYU Radio 107.9 FM

No. 6-seeded BYU will face No. 3-seeded Wisconsin at 5:45 p.m. MDT in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on CBS. It’s possible this will be the largest audience to ever watch the Cougars play basketball. A victory will advance the BYU to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011.

Rewind three months to Dec. 28 when the Cougars clashed with Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. The Saturday night showcase on ABC drew 8 million viewers — the largest audience to witness the Cougars play football in the modern era.

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The similarities are significant.

Kalani Sitake’s boys went into the Alamo Bowl as a slight underdog with a 9-2 record and a No. 17 national ranking. Kevin Young’s Cougars are also No. 17 and have won 10 of their last 11 games — but are also slight underdogs against Wisconsin.

Beating the Buffaloes required BYU’s best overall effort of the season, and the Cougars delivered on offense, defense and special teams to win 36-14. BYU controlled the game with a steady ground attack and stifled Colorado’s high-powered offense with a blitz package the Buffaloes never adjusted to.

The timing of the victory, the time of day and the network it was broadcast on turned into a win-win for the Cougars. Not only did the victory carry momentum into spring practice, but the performance left an impression on all those who watched it. As a result, when BYU shows back up in late August, they will no longer be flying under the national radar.

Football also provided the blueprint for basketball’s success against Wisconsin — aggressive defense, force turnovers, protect the ball and play on attack.

A win will leave a lasting impression on Young’s program too — and perhaps even more. Not only will a victory keep the Cougars in the tournament, but it will give BYU a two-hour prime-time pitch reel before the transfer portal opens Monday.

The announcers will undoubtedly document the AJ Dybantsa signing and Egor Demin’s NBA draft stock — priceless talking points any program in America would pay through the nose to have addressed on national television — and BYU has it.

Selling real estate and selling a basketball program is still impacted by the same thing — location, location, location and Saturday night, the high-flying Cougars will be located in prime time on CBS.

It’s up to them to make the most of it.

BYU Cougars forward Mawot Mag (0) and center Keba Keita (13) high-five after a play against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams during a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament held at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.

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