LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — A spot in the NCAA Tournament is likely on the line Thursday when rivals Colorado State and San Diego State meet in the Mountain West Conference championship game.

The third-seeded Rams (21-11) and fourth-seeded Aztecs (20-10) will face off at 3 p.m. PDT at the Thomas & Mack Center, with the league’s automatic bid to the Big Dance at stake. Both teams enter with strong postseason resumes, but a victory would secure their place.

The season series is split, with each team winning convincingly on its home floor. San Diego State rolled to a 73-50 victory on Jan. 28 in San Diego, but Colorado State answered with an 83-74 win in Fort Collins on Feb. 21.

That recent Rams victory was powered by a standout performance from guard Jase Butler, who scored 25 points. Butler enters the final on a hot streak, averaging 15.6 points over his last eight games and coming off a 20-point effort in Wednesday’s 67-63 semifinal win over Fresno State.

San Diego State advanced with a thrilling 89-86 win over UNLV in its quarterfinal, fueled by a 30-point outburst from guard BJ Davis. Davis, who was held to just five points in the loss at Colorado State last month, has shown explosive scoring ability, making him a key variable for the Aztecs’ offense.

Colorado State has won seven of its last nine games, relying on a balanced attack that saw Carey Booth add 18 points in the semifinal. San Diego State, the defending tournament champion, has experienced inconsistency down the stretch, going 4-3 in its last seven contests but remains a formidable defensive unit.

The Rams will seek their first Mountain West tournament title since 2022, while the Aztecs aim for their third championship in four years. The winner will claim the conference’s automatic NCAA berth, while the loser will await Selection Sunday’s at-large decisions.