San Diego State Aztecs | |
---|---|
University | San Diego State University |
Conference | Mountain West (primary) Pac-12 (starting July 1, 2026) WAC (men's soccer) GCC (women's water polo) Big 12 (women's lacrosse) |
NCAA | Division I (FBS) |
Athletic director | John David Wicker |
Location | San Diego, California |
Varsity teams | 17 (6 men's, 11 women's) |
Football stadium | Snapdragon Stadium |
Basketball arena | Viejas Arena |
Baseball stadium | Tony Gwynn Stadium |
Softball stadium | SDSU Softball Stadium |
Soccer stadium | SDSU Sports Deck |
Aquatics center | Aztec Aquaplex |
Lacrosse field | Aztec Lacrosse Field |
Tennis venue | Aztec Tennis Center |
Outdoor track and field venue | SDSU Sports Deck (aka "Aztrack") |
Volleyball arena | Peterson Gymnasium |
Mascot | Spirit Leader [1] [2] [3] |
Nickname | Aztecs |
Fight song | SDSU Fight Song |
Colors | Scarlet and black [4] |
Website | goaztecs |
The San Diego State Aztecs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW); they will become a member of the Pac-12 Conference in 2026. The Aztec nickname was chosen by students in 1925; team colors are scarlet (red) and black. The university currently fields 17 varsity teams (6 men's, 11 women's).
Men's sports | Women's sports |
---|---|
Baseball | Basketball |
Football | Cross country |
Basketball | Golf |
Golf | Lacrosse |
Soccer | Soccer |
Tennis | Softball |
Swimming & diving | |
Tennis | |
Track & field † | |
Volleyball | |
Water Polo | |
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. |
Year | Tournament Record | Notes |
---|---|---|
1979 | 2-2 | Lost in the Mideast Regional finals to Pepperdine. |
1981 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Oral Roberts in the Midwest Regional. |
1982 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Houston in the West II Regional. |
1983 | 1–2 | Eliminated by UC Santa Barbara in the West I Regional semifinals. |
1984 | 3–2 | Lost in the West I Regional finals to Cal State Fullerton. |
1986 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Texas-Pan American in the Central Regional. |
1990 | 3–2 | Lost in the West I Regional finals to Stanford. |
1991 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Portland in the West II Regional. |
2009 | 1–2 | Eliminated by UC Irvine in the Irvine Regional. |
2013 | 0–2 | Eliminated by San Diego in the Los Angeles Regional. |
2014 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Louisiana in the Lafayette Regional. |
2015 | 1–2 | Eliminated by USC in the Charlottesville Regional. |
2017 | 1–2 | Eliminated by Long Beach State in the Long Beach Regional. |
2018 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Northwestern State in the Corvallis Regional. |
San Diego State University's football team is part of the highest level of American collegiate football, the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I (which was formerly known as Division I-A). SDSU is 10–9 all time in post-season bowl games. They first went to a bowl game in 1948 and first won a major-college bowl game in 1969. [9] Until the 2010 season, the Aztec football team had not won a bowl game in the past 37 years. In 2019, the Aztecs reached their 10th straight bowl game.
The Aztecs moved into the new Snapdragon Stadium, located in what had been the parking lot of the team's former home of San Diego Stadium, [a] for the 2022 season. [10] During the construction of Snapdragon Stadium, the Aztecs played the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The team had played at San Diego Stadium from its opening in 1967 until its closure after the 2019 season; before that, it played in the on-campus Aztec Bowl (now the location of Viejas Arena).
Aztec basketball alumni who became more famous outside the sport include 1930s player Art Linkletter, who went on to an illustrious entertainment career that spanned more than 70 years, and Tony Gwynn, who also played baseball at San Diego State and opted for that sport professionally, ending up in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In the 2010–11 season, the men's team had a record of 32–2 to capture a share of the Mountain West Conference title. They won the conference tournament outright for the automatic berth to the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The only losses of the regular season were to another top 10 ranked team, BYU, who the Aztecs later beat to win the conference tournament. They earned a 2nd seed in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16. In the 2013–2014 season, the Aztecs finished 29–4, again reaching the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 round.
The Aztecs reached the Elite Eight, Final Four, and the National Championship for the first time during the 2022–23 season, where they finished runner-up to UConn. The Aztecs returned to the tournament in 2024, reaching the Sweet Sixteen.
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Round of 32 | #16 UNLV | L 80–90 | |
1976 | Round of 32 | #5 UCLA | L 64–74 | |
1985 | 13 W | Round of 64 | (4) #9 UNLV | L 80–85 |
2002 | 13 M | Round of 64 | (4) #13 Illinois | L 64–93 |
2006 | 11 W | Round of 64 | (6) Indiana | L 83–87 |
2010 | 11 M | Round of 64 | (6) #15 Tennessee | L 59–62 |
2011 | 2 W | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | (15) Northern Colorado (7) Temple (3) #9 Connecticut | W 68–50 W 71–64 2OT L 67–74 |
2012 | 6 M | Round of 64 | (11) NC State | L 65–79 |
2013 | 7 S | Round of 64 Round of 32 | (10) Oklahoma (15) Florida Gulf Coast | W 70–55 L 71–81 |
2014 | 4 W | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | (13) New Mexico State (12) North Dakota State (1) #4 Arizona | W 73–69 OT W 63–44 L 64–70 |
2015 | 8 S | Round of 64 Round of 32 | (9) St. John's (1) #4 Duke | W 76–64 L 49–68 |
2018 | 11 W | Round of 64 | (6) #21 Houston | L 65–67 |
2021 | 6 MW | Round of 64 | (11) Syracuse | L 62–78 |
2022 | 8 MW | Round of 64 | (9) Creighton | L 69–72 OT |
2023 | 5 S | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | (12) Charleston (13) Furman (1) #1 Alabama (6) Creighton (9) #25 Florida Atlantic (4) #10 UConn | W 63–57 W 75–52 W 71–64 W 57–56 W 72–71 L 59–76 |
2024 | 5 E | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | (12) UAB (13) Yale (1) #1 UConn | W 69–65 W 85–57 L 82–52 |
The Aztecs men's golf team has more NCAA postseason appearances than any other San Diego State athletic team. Notable alumni include 2015 graduate and PGA Tour golfer Xander Schauffele. In 2017, Schauffele received the 2017 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award. [15]
Year | Finish | Score |
---|---|---|
1950 | 10th | 606 |
1960 | 14th | 625 |
1962 | 15th | 637 |
1965 | 24th | 620 |
1966 | 6th | 604 |
1967 | 23rd | 613 |
1970 | 16th | 1,230 |
1971 | 20th | 585 |
1972 | 16th | 603 |
1974 | 17th | 606 |
1975 | 19th | 606 |
1976 | 18th | 1,205 |
1977 | 15th | 1,248 |
1978 | 12th | 1,190 |
1979 | 26th | 943 |
1980 | 22nd | 917 |
1981 | 21st | 895 |
1982 | 14th | 1,178 |
1983 | 23rd | 909 |
1984 | 24th | 889 |
1999 | 29th | 628 |
2003 | 30th | 965 |
2005 | 23rd | 893 |
2008 | 14th | 1,222 |
2011 | 16th | 898 |
2012 | 5th | 871 |
2015 | 15th | 1,193 |
2017 | 25th | 872 |
The San Diego State men's soccer team competes in the Western Athletic Conference. In 1987, the Aztecs reached the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Final, losing in the game by a score of 0–2 to Clemson. The team has an overall NCAA Division Tournament record of 5–8 through eight appearances. [17] Lev Kirshner was head coach for over two decades.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | Second round | San Francisco | L 1–2 |
1982 | First round Second round | Fresno State San Francisco | W 1–0 L 0–2 |
1987 | First round Second round Third round Semifinals National Championship | Saint Louis SMU UCLA Harvard Clemson | W 2–1 W 3–2 W 2–1 W 2–1 L 0–2 |
1988 | First round | UCLA | L 1–2 |
1989 | First round | UCLA | L 1–2 |
2005 | First round | UC Santa Barbara | L 0–2 |
2006 | First round | UC Santa Barbara | L 1–2 |
2016 | First round | UNLV | L 1–2 |
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Region VII Regional | New Mexico | L 2–4 |
1999 | First round Second round | Tulsa UCLA | W 4–1 L 1–4 |
2000 | First round Second round Round of 16 | Washington Pepperdine VCU | W 4–3 W 4–2 L 3–4 |
2002 | First round Second round | Hampton UCLA | W 5–0 L 1–4 |
2003 | First round Second round | San Diego Washington | W 5–0 L 3–4 |
2005 | First round | Cal | L 1–4 |
2015 | First round Second round | San Diego USC | W 4–3 L 0–4 |
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | #6 | First round Regional semifinals | #3 Oregon #2 Long Beach State | W 70–63 L 73–91 |
1985 | #5 | First round Regional semifinals | #4 UNLV #1 Louisiana Tech | W 70–68 L 64–94 |
1993 | #9 | First round | #8 Georgia | L 68–85 |
1994 | #5 | First round Second round | #12 Hawaii #13 Texas A&M | W 81–75 L 72–75 |
1995 | #5 | First round | #12 Montana | L 46–57 |
1997 | #11 | First round | #6 Oregon | L 62–79 |
2009 | #10 | First round Second round | #7 DePaul #2 Stanford | W 76–70 L 49–77 |
2010 | #11 | First round Second round Regional semifinals | #6 Texas #3 West Virginia #2 Duke | W 74–63 W 64–55 L 58–66 |
2012 | #12 | First round | #5 LSU | L 56–64 |
The San Diego State Aztecs women's cross country team has appeared in the NCAA tournament one time, with that appearance resulting in 7th place in the 1981–82 school year. [21]
Year | Finish | Points |
---|---|---|
1981 | 7th | 169 |
Notable alumni include 2015 graduate Paige Spiranac.
The women's lacrosse team began play in 2012 and will play its first season in the Big 12 Conference in spring 2025. The Aztecs had played in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation before that conference dropped the sport after the 2021 season (2020–21 school year) due to a lack of competing members. They then spent the next two seasons as an independent before becoming an affiliate member of the Pac-12 Conference in the 2024 season, the last before that conference's collapse. The Aztecs became one of the six inaugural members of Big 12 women's lacrosse, joined by full members Arizona State, Cincinnati, and Colorado plus fellow affiliates Florida and UC Davis.
The Aztecs women's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 4–7 through seven appearances. [26]
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Second round Third round | USC Portland | W 1–0 L 0–5 |
1999 | First round | San Diego | L 1–2 |
2009 | First round Second round | San Diego UCLA | W 1–0 L 0–5 |
2012 | First round Second round Third round | CSU Northridge Cal UCLA | W 3–0 W 2–1 L 0–3 |
2013 | First round | UCLA | L 0–3 |
2014 | First round | Cal | L 2–3 |
2017 | First round | UCLA | L 1–3 |
Year | Tournament Record | Notes |
---|---|---|
2001 | 3–2 | Lost in the Region 2 Regional finals to UCLA. |
2003 | 1–2 | Eliminated by Oregon in the Region 6 Regional. |
2006 | 2-2 | Lost in the Los Angeles Regional finals to UCLA. |
2008 | 1–2 | Eliminated by Fresno State in the Gainesville Regional. |
2009 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Cal State Fullerton in the Tempe Regional. |
2010 | 1–2 | Eliminated by Fresno State in the Los Angeles Regional. |
2011 | 2-2 | Lost in the Tempe Regional finals to Arizona State. |
2012 | 2-2 | Lost in the Tampa Regional finals to Hofstra. |
2013 | 1–2 | Eliminated by Georgia in the Tempe Regional. |
2014 | 1–2 | Eliminated by Michigan in the Tallahassee Regional. |
2015 | 2-2 | Lost in the Los Angeles Regional finals to UCLA. |
Year | Finish |
---|---|
1982 | 23rd |
2010 | 42nd |
2012 | 45th |
2013 | 41st |
2014 | 27th |
2015 | 39th |
2017 | 46th |
2019 | 38th |
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | First round Quarterfinals | Northwestern Trinity | W 8–1 L 3–6 |
1983 | First round Quarterfinals | Miami (FL) Stanford | W 5–4 L 4–5 |
1984 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Third-place game | Cal Texas Stanford Trinity | W 7–2 W 6–3 L 2–7 L 4–5 |
1985 | First round Quarterfinals | Northwestern USC | W 6–3 L 0–9 |
1986 | First round | Oklahoma State | L 3–6 |
1989 | First round Second round | William & Mary Stanford | W 6–3 L 0–9 |
1990 | First round | Indiana | L 3–5 |
1991 | First round Second round | Tennessee Stanford | W 5–1 L 1–5 |
1992 | First round Second round | Kansas Duke | W 5–4 L 1–5 |
1993 | First round | Ole Miss | L 3–5 |
1996 | West Regional | Arizona State | L 4–5 |
1997 | West Regional West Regional | Oregon Pepperdine | W 5–2 L 2–5 |
1998 | West Regional West Regional | San Diego USC | W 5–2 L 1–5 |
1999 | California Regional | Marquette | L 1–5 |
2000 | First round Second round | South Florida Wake Forest | W 5–0 L 0–5 |
2002 | First round | Arizona | L 3–4 |
2003 | First round | Fresno State | L 0–4 |
2005 | First round | Arizona State | L 0–4 |
2006 | First round | UCLA | L 0–4 |
2007 | First round | Florida State | L 0–4 |
2009 | First round | Washington | L 0–4 |
2013 | First round | Baylor | L 1–4 |
Year | Competition | Finish |
---|---|---|
2006 | Indoor | 51st |
2008 | Indoor | 33rd |
2009 | Indoor | 34th |
2010 | Indoor | 21st |
2012 | Indoor | 48th |
2013 | Indoor | 25th |
2014 | Indoor | 19th |
2017 | Indoor | 21st |
2018 | Indoor | 17th |
2019 | Indoor | 27th |
Year | Competition | Finish |
---|---|---|
1982 | Outdoor | 10th |
1983 | Outdoor | 24th |
1984 | Outdoor | 11th |
1985 | Outdoor | 9th |
1986 | Outdoor | 20th |
1998 | Outdoor | 51st |
1999 | Outdoor | 62nd |
2001 | Outdoor | 37th |
2003 | Outdoor | 29th |
2004 | Outdoor | 27th |
2005 | Outdoor | 29th |
2007 | Outdoor | 46th |
2008 | Outdoor | 31st |
2009 | Outdoor | 25th |
2011 | Outdoor | 60th |
2012 | Outdoor | 9th |
2013 | Outdoor | 23rd |
2014 | Outdoor | 12th |
2016 | Outdoor | 20th |
2017 | Outdoor | 32nd |
2018 | Outdoor | 46th |
2019 | Outdoor | 32nd |
The Aztecs women's volleyball team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 13–14 through fourteen appearances. [36]
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Semifinals | New Mexico UC Santa Barbara UCLA | W 3–0 W 3–0 L 1–3 |
1982 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Semifinals | Cal UCLA USC | W 3–1 W 3–1 L 0–3 |
1983 | First round Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Colorado State Arizona Stanford | W 3–0 W 3–1 L 0–3 |
1984 | First round Regional semifinals | BYU USC | W 3–0 L 0–3 |
1985 | First round | Hawaii | L 1–3 |
1986 | First round Regional semifinals | UC Santa Barbara Pacific | W 3–1 L 0–3 |
1988 | First round Regional semifinals | San Jose State Hawaii | W 3–1 L 0–3 |
1989 | First round | Long Beach State | L 0–3 |
1990 | First round Regional semifinals | BYU Stanford | W 3–1 L 1–3 |
1994 | First round Second round | Memphis Arizona State | W 3–1 L 2–3 |
1995 | Second round Regional semifinals | Long Beach State Michigan State | W 3–1 L 0–3 |
1996 | First round Second round | Sam Houston State Texas | W 3–1 L 0–3 |
2001 | First round | Long Beach State | L 0–3 |
2012 | First round | Saint Mary's | L 2–3 |
Year | Finish |
---|---|
2007 | 4th |
2008 | 5th |
2016 | 8th |
San Diego State has been a member of six different athletic conferences in its history.
In the past, San Diego State, like most American universities, has sponsored several additional varsity sports programs to those currently offered. These programs have since been discontinued. Budgeting and Title IX equity challenges have been cited as the primary reasons for these programs being cut. [38] In some cases (notably men's crew and men's volleyball), club teams have emerged in place of discontinued sports programs.
Crew
Cross Country
The Aztecs men's cross country team won three consecutive NCAA Division II national championships in 1965, 1966, and 1967 shortly before the program's ascension to Division I.
Year | Finish | Points |
---|---|---|
1968 | 6th | 247 |
1970 | 9th | 356 |
1976 | 8th | 361 |
Gymnastics
Year | Finish |
---|---|
1959 | 18th |
Swimming & Diving
Men's swimming & diving won back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in 1965 and 1966 shortly before the program's transition to Division I.
Year | Finish |
---|---|
1969 | 27th |
Track & Field (Indoor and Outdoor)
The men's track & field team won back-to-back NCAA Division II outdoor national championships in 1965 and 1966 shortly before the program's transition to Division I.
Year | Competition | Finish |
---|---|---|
1979 | Indoor | 60th |
Year | Competition | Finish |
---|---|---|
1965 | Outdoor | 25th |
1966 | Outdoor | 24th |
1969 | Outdoor | 19th |
1970 | Outdoor | 12th |
1971 | Outdoor | 35th |
1974 | Outdoor | 16th |
1976 | Outdoor | 19th |
1977 | Outdoor | 55th |
1979 | Outdoor | 28th |
1980 | Outdoor | 41st |
1982 | Outdoor | 53rd |
1983 | Outdoor | 74th |
1984 | Outdoor | 71st |
1989 | Outdoor | 67th |
Volleyball
The men's volleyball team won San Diego State's first (and to-date only) NCAA Division I National Championship in 1973. The team's home court was Peterson Gymnasium.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Semifinals Championship | UC Santa Barbara UCLA | W 3–2 L 2–3 |
1973 | Semifinals Championship | Ball State Long Beach State | W 3–0 W 3–1 |
Water Polo
Despite coming off a season in which the team was ranked in the top 10 nationally, the men's water polo team, along with other programs, was cut, due to a combination of a lack in athletic department funding, Proposition 13's passage, and necessity to comply with Title IX. [50]
Wrestling
In 1949, San Diego State wrestler Harold Hensen became the first African-American to compete in an NCAA wrestling championship tournament when he competed in individual competition at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. [52] [53]
Year | Finish | Points |
---|---|---|
1956 | 33rd | 1 |
1969 | 17th | 15 |
1992 | 41st | 5 |
Field Hockey
Gymnastics
The women's rowing team, which had last competed in the American Athletic Conference, was discontinued following the 2020–21 academic year due to ongoing Title IX gender equity challenges and financial stress on the athletics department brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The team's home was the Mission Bay Aquatic Center.
Facility | Team(s) | Opened |
---|---|---|
Snapdragon Stadium | Football | 2022 |
Viejas Arena | Basketball (men's) | 1997 |
Tony Gwynn Stadium | Baseball | 1997 |
Peterson Gymnasium | Volleyball (women's) | 1961 |
SDSU Sports Deck / Aztrack | Soccer (men's) | 2000 |
Aztec Aquaplex | Swimming & diving (women's) | 2007 |
Aztec Lacrosse Field | Lacrosse (women's) | 2011 |
Aztec Tennis Center | Tennis (men's) | 2005 |
SDSU Softball Stadium | Softball | 2005 |
Facility | Description | Opened |
---|---|---|
Fowler Athletics Center | Athletics department headquarters and Aztec Hall of Fame | 2001 |
Jeff Jacobs JAM Center | Practice facility for men's and women's basketball | 2015 |
Mission Bay Aquatic Center | Facility in Mission Bay co-owned and operated with the University of California, San Diego that provides opportunities for many outdoor activities and water sports for SDSU students. Home to club sports teams such as men's crew and waterskiing and wakesports. | 1974 |
In addition to the varsity sports officially sponsored by the athletic department, San Diego State also supports several club-level sports, most operating through the Aztec Recreation Center. [57]
Sports with both varsity and club-level teams at the university include baseball and soccer among men's sports, and lacrosse, soccer, volleyball and water polo among women's sports.
The San Diego State Aztecs have competed in the NCAA tournament across 16 active sports (6 men's and 10 women's) 191 times at the Division I FBS level. [58]
The Aztecs of San Diego State have earned 1 NCAA national championship at the Division I level. [42]
School year | Sport | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|
1972–73 | Men's volleyball | Long Beach State | 3–1 |
San Diego State won 7 national championships while at the Division II level. [42]
The Aztecs also claimed 3 national team titles at the varsity level while a member of NCAA Division II that were not bestowed by the NCAA (being awarded instead by sponsors of College Division football polls):
Basketball (1): 1941 (NAIA)
SDSU's cheerleading and dance teams have won national championships.
Below are eleven national club team championships:
San Diego State has had 15 individuals win NCAA individual national championships at the Division I level. [42]
NCAA individual championships | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Order | School year | Athlete(s) | Sport | Source |
1 | 1933–34 | Jack Rand | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
2 | 1946–47 | Willie Steele | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
3 | 1947–48 | Willie Steele | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
4 | 1948–49 | Bob Smith | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
5 | 1949–50 | Bob Smith | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
6 | 1964–65 | Larry Godfrey | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
7 | 1969–70 | Arnie Robinson | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
8 | 1975–76 | Quentin Wheeler | Men's outdoor track and field | [59] |
9 | 1983–84 | Ramona Pagel | Women's outdoor track and field | [60] |
10 | 1984–85 | Laura De Snoo | Women's outdoor track and field | [60] |
11 | 1984–85 | LaTanya Sheffield | Women's outdoor track and field | [60] |
12 | 2011–12 | Whitney Ashley | Women's outdoor track and field | [60] |
13 | 2012–13 | Shanieka Ricketts | Women's outdoor track and field | [59] |
14 | 2013–14 | Shanieka Ricketts | Women's indoor track and field | [61] |
15 | 2013–14 | Shanieka Ricketts | Women's outdoor track and field | [60] |
At the NCAA Division II level, San Diego State garnered 14 individual championships. [42] In 1975 Barbara Barrow won the women's national intercollegiate individual golf championship after a tie-breaker playoff (an event conducted by the AIAW, which was succeeded by the current NCAA women's golf championship).
Corbett Award | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Name | Position | ||
2000 | Cedric Dempsey | Athletic Director | ||
2007 | Fred L. Miller | Athletic Director |
SDSU athletics has had a rivalry with the BYU Cougars of Brigham Young University since at least the 1980s when both programs were members of the Western Athletic Conference. The rivalry intensified after both schools left the conference to become charter members of the Mountain West Conference in 1999. Through their many years in the same conferences, the Aztecs and Cougars were routinely tough competition for conference championships in numerous sports among both the men and women. The Cougars departed the Mountain West in 2011, though the programs continue to compete semi-regularly. Men's basketball and football have represented the most high-profile contests of the rivalry. [62] [63]
San Diego State has a longtime rivalry with California State University, Fresno, primarily stemming from the American football rivalry dating back to the 1920s. The two schools have competed against each other in over 55 football, 50 men's basketball, and 190 baseball matches. [64] [65] [66]
The Aztecs have a local rivalry with the University of San Diego's San Diego Toreros, emphasizing the competition in college men's basketball. The rivalry has featured many competitions in neutral locations such as Petco Park across many sports. [67]
Though more of a rivalry historically outside of sports, the University of California, San Diego, the other major public university in San Diego, represents another local rival of SDSU. The UC San Diego Tritons joined NCAA Division I in 2020. Similar to the way SDSU's student section, The Show, refers to the San Diego Toreros, they often refer to the UC San Diego Tritons as the "little brothers" or "little sisters". [68] [69]
El Camino Real Rivalry
The rivalry between the two Cal State schools dates back to 1935. The matchup is named after the historic 600-mile Camino Real that connects the 21 Spanish missions in California, stretching from San Diego Bay in the south to San Francisco Bay in the north.
In 2014, there were conversations between the two programs about creating a trophy using an old mission bell or a replica of an old Spanish mission bell to be awarded to the winner of the rivalry game, but no trophy ever materialized. [70]
1988 Track & Field Coach (1922–46) M. Basketball Coach (1929–42); Baseball Coach (1931–1932); Director of Athletics (1935–1941) 2003 | 2005 |
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The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of California, Santa Barbara. Referred to in athletic competition as UC Santa Barbara or UCSB, the Gauchos participate in 19 NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports with the majority competing in the Big West Conference. UCSB currently fields varsity teams in 10 men's and 9 women's sports.
The UC San Diego Tritons are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of California, San Diego. The Tritons compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Big West Conference (BWC).
The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Viejas Arena.
The San Diego State Aztecs men's soccer team is the men's soccer program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as an affiliate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The team plays its home games at the SDSU Sports Deck.
The Cal State San Marcos Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent California State University, San Marcos. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division II as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
The San Diego State Aztecs men's golf team is the men's golf program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW).
The San Diego State Aztecs women's tennis team is the women's tennis program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team is based at the Aztec Tennis Center.
The San Diego State Aztecs women's soccer team is the women's soccer program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at the SDSU Sports Deck.
The San Diego State Aztecs women's basketball team is the women's college basketball program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Viejas Arena.
Leah Pruitt is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward.
The San Diego State Aztecs men's tennis team is the men's tennis program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team is based at the Aztec Tennis Center.