Selection Sunday delivered a tough blow to the Oklahoma Sooners, who found themselves just shy of the NCAA Tournament bubble despite a late-season surge. The real kicker? Their Red River rival, the Texas Longhorns, snagged a spot many believe should have gone to OU.
When the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket was unveiled, Oklahoma was conspicuously absent for the fourth time in five years under head coach Porter Moser. Despite winning eight of their last 11 games, the Sooners were the first team left out, as revealed by the CBS Sports broadcast. This marks the third instance under Moser where OU was one of the first four teams out.
Miami (OH), with an impressive 31-1 record, claimed the last at-large bid ahead of the Sooners. Despite being 16 spots below OU in the NET rankings and lacking any Quad 1 wins, their near-perfect season was hard for the selection committee to overlook. However, if Sooners fans are searching for a grievance, Texas seems the more fitting target.
The last four teams in included NC State, Texas, and SMU. Notably, the Sooners bested Texas 88-85 in overtime in Austin just over a week before Selection Sunday, splitting their Red River Rivalry series.
Texas may have two more Quad 1 wins than OU, but that head-to-head victory should have weighed heavily in the decision. OU also ended with a better overall record, 19-15 to Texas's 18-14.
Adding to the controversy, the Longhorns were ousted in the first round of the SEC Tournament by 15-seed Ole Miss, entering the NCAA Tournament on a three-game skid. Meanwhile, the Sooners were peaking, with two dominant wins in the SEC Tournament before a narrow loss to eventual champion Arkansas in the quarterfinals. That defeat snapped a six-game winning streak, a run that might have tipped the scales in OU's favor had it continued.
Ultimately, Oklahoma's early-season nine-game losing streak in SEC play proved costly. Yet, given the choice between the Red River rivals, the Sooners' recent on-court triumph over Texas seemed to make the decision clear-at least on paper.