San Diego State Aztecs


The San Diego State Aztecs are the athletic teams that represent San Diego State University. San Diego State currently sponsors six men's and thirteen women's sports at the varsity level.
The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I. Its primary conference is the Mountain West Conference. The women's water polo team participates in the Golden Coast Conference after leaving the Big West Conference in July 2013. The men's soccer team participates as an associate member of the Pac-12 Conference. The women's rowing team is a member of the American Athletic Conference, following moves from the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association to Conference USA in 2013 and from C-USA to The American in 2014. San Diego State's football team had intended to move to the Big East Conference beginning in 2013 with the remainder of its current Mountain West sports moving to the Big West, but on January 17 it was reported that all of San Diego State's athletic teams would be readmitted to the Mountain West.
News reports often mention "Montezuma Mesa" or "news from the mesa" when discussing San Diego State-related sports events. The San Diego State campus is known as "Montezuma Mesa", as the university is situated on a mesa overlooking Mission Valley and is located at the intersection of Montezuma Road and College Avenue in the city of San Diego.

Sports sponsored

All varsity teams representing San Diego State participate in the Mountain West Conference for conference play excluding lacrosse in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, men's soccer in the Pac-12 Conference, rowing in the American Athletic Conference, and water polo in the Golden Coast Conference.

Men's varsity sports

Baseball

19792-2Lost in the Mideast Regional finals to Pepperdine.
19810-2Eliminated by Oral Roberts in the Midwest Regional.
19820-2Eliminated by Houston in the West II Regional.
19831-2Eliminated by UC Santa Barbara in the West I Regional Semifinals.
19843-2Lost in the West I Regional finals to Cal State Fullerton.
19860-2Eliminated by Texas-Pan American in the Central Regional.
19903-2Lost in the West I Regional finals to Stanford.
19910-2Eliminated by Portland in the West II Regional.
20091-2Eliminated by UC Irvine in the Irvine Regional.
20130-2Eliminated by San Diego in the Los Angeles Regional.
20140-2Eliminated by Louisiana in the Lafayette Regional.
20151-2Eliminated by USC in the Charlottesville Regional.
20171-2Eliminated by Long Beach State in the Long Beach Regional.
20180-2Eliminated by Northwestern State in the Corvallis Regional.

Basketball

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 2010–2011 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.
1975Round of 32UNLVL 80–90
1976Round of 32UCLAL 64–74
1985#13Round of 64#4 UNLVL 80–85
2002#13Round of 64#4 IllinoisL 64–93
2006#11Round of 64#6 IndianaL 83–87
2010#11Round of 64#6 TennesseeL 59–62
2011#2Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#15 Northern Colorado
  1. 7 Temple
  2. 3 Connecticut
W 68–59W 71–64 2OT
L 67–74
2012#6Round of 64#11 NC StateL 65–79
2013#7Round of 64
Round of 32		#10 Oklahoma
  1. 15 Florida Gulf Coast
W 70–55L 71–81
2014#4Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#13 New Mexico State
  1. 12 North Dakota State
  2. 1 Arizona
W 73–69 OTW 63–44
L 64–70
2015#8Round of 64
Round of 32		#9 St. John's
  1. 1 Duke
W 76–64L 49–68
2018#11Round of 64#6 HoustonL 65–67

Football


San Diego State University's football team is part of the highest level of American collegiate football, the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I. SDSU is 9–9 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. 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 football team plays at SDCCU Stadium, and has since the stadium opened in 1967. Prior to that, the team played in the on-campus Aztec Bowl.
The team is scheduled to move into a newly-constructed stadium, "Aztec Stadium", in the current parking lot of SDCCU Stadium in time for the 2022 season.

Golf

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.
196014th625
196215th637
196524th620
19666th604
196722nd613
197016th1,230
197618th1,205
197715th1,248
197812th1,190
197926th943
198023rd917
198121st895
198214th1,178
198323rd909
198424th889
199929th628
200330th965
200523rd893
200814th1,222
201116th898
20125th871
201515th1,193
201725th872

Soccer

The San Diego State men's soccer team competes in the Pac-12 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.
1969Second RoundSan FranciscoL 1–2
1982First Round
Second Round		Fresno State
San Francisco		W 1–0
L 0–2
1987First 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
1988First RoundUCLAL 1–2
1989First RoundUCLAL 1–2
2005First RoundUC Santa BarbaraL 0–2
2006First RoundUC Santa BarbaraL 1–2
2016First RoundUNLVL 1–2

Tennis

1998Region VII RegionalNew MexicoL 2–4
1999First Round
Second Round		Tulsa
UCLA		W 4–1
L 1–4
2000First Round
Second Round
Round of 16		Washington
Pepperdine
VCU		W 4–3
W 4–2
L 3–4
2002First Round
Second Round		Hampton
UCLA		W 5–0
L 1–4
2003First Round
Second Round		San Diego
Washington		W 5–0
L 3–4
2005First RoundCalL 1–4
2015First Round
Second Round		San Diego
USC		W 4–3
L 0–4

Women's varsity sports

Basketball

1984#6First Round
Regional Semifinals		#3 Oregon
  1. 2 Long Beach State
W 70–63L 73–91
1985#5First Round
Regional Semifinals		#4 UNLV
  1. 1 Louisiana Tech
W 70–68 L 64–94
1993#9First Round#8 GeorgiaL 68–85
1994#5First Round
Second Round		#12 Hawaii
  1. 13 Texas A&M
W 81–75L 72–75
1995#5First Round#12 MontanaL 46–57
1997#11First Round#6 OregonL 62–79
2009#10First Round
Second Round		#7 DePaul
  1. 2 Stanford
W 76–70L 49–77
2010#11First Round
Second Round
Regional Semifinals		#6 Texas
  1. 3 West Virginia
  2. 2 Duke
W 74–63W 64–55
L 58–66
2012#12First Round#5 LSUL 56–64

Cross Country

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.
19817th169

Golf

Notable alumni include 2015 graduate Paige Spiranac.

Lacrosse

The women's lacrosse team began play in 2012 and competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Rowing

The women's rowing team competes as a member of the American Athletic Conference.

Soccer

The Aztecs women's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 4–7 through seven appearances.
1998Second Round
Third Round		USC
Portland		W 1–0
L 0–5
1999First RoundSan DiegoL 1–2
2009First Round
Second Round		San Diego
UCLA		W 1–0
L 0–5
2012First Round
Second Round
Third Round		CSU Northridge
Cal
UCLA		W 3–0
W 2–1
L 0–3
2013First RoundUCLAL 0–3
2014First RoundCalL 2–3
2017First RoundUCLAL 1–3

Softball

20013-2Lost in the Region 2 Regional finals to UCLA.
20031-2Eliminated by Oregon in the Region 6 Regional.
20062-2Lost in the Los Angeles Regional finals to UCLA.
20081-2Eliminated by Fresno State in the Gainesville Super Regional.
20090-2Eliminated by Cal State Fullerton in the Tempe Super Regional.
20101-2Eliminated by Fresno State in the Los Angeles Super Regional.
20112-2Eliminated by Arizona State in the Tempe Super Regional.
20122-2Eliminated by Hofstra in the Tampa Super Regional.
20131-2Eliminated by Georgia in the Tempe Super Regional.
20141-2Eliminated by Michigan in the Tallahassee Super Regional.
20152-2Eliminated by UCLA in the Los Angeles Super Regional.

Swimming & Diving

198223rd
201042nd
201245th
201341st
201427th
201539th
201746th
201938th

Tennis

1982First Round
Quarterfinals		Northwestern
Trinity		W 8–1
L 3–6
1983First Round
Quarterfinals		Miami
Stanford		W 5–4
L 4–5
1984First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third Place Game		Cal
Texas
Stanford
Trinity		W 7–2
W 6–3
L 2–7
L 4–5
1985First Round
Quarterfinals		Northwestern
USC		W 6–3
L 0–9
1986First RoundOklahoma StateL 3–6
1989First Round
Second Round		William & Mary
Stanford		W 6–3
L 0–9
1990First RoundIndianaL 3–5
1991First Round
Second Round		Tennessee
Stanford		W 5–1
L 1–5
1992First Round
Second Round		Kansas
Duke		W 5–4
L 1–5
1993First RoundOle MissL 3–5
1996West RegionalArizona StateL 4–5
1997West Regional
West Regional		Oregon
Pepperdine		W 5–2
L 2–5
1998West Regional
West Regional		San Diego
USC		W 5–2
L 1–5
1999California RegionalMarquetteL 1–5
2000First Round
Second Round		South Florida
Wake Forest		W 5–0
L 0–5
2002First RoundArizonaL 3–4
2003First RoundFresno StateL 0–4
2005First RoundArizona StateL 0–4
2006First RoundUCLAL 0–4
2007First RoundFlorida StateL 0–4
2009First RoundWashingtonL 0–4
2013First RoundBaylorL 1–4

Track & Field (Indoor and Outdoor)

2006Indoor51st
2008Indoor33rd
2009Indoor34th
2010Indoor21st
2012Indoor48th
2013Indoor25th
2014Indoor19th
2017Indoor21st
2018Indoor17th
2019Indoor27th

1982Outdoor10th
1983Outdoor24th
1984Outdoor11th
1985Outdoor9th
1986Outdoor20th
1998Outdoor51st
1999Outdoor62nd
2001Outdoor37th
2003Outdoor29th
2004Outdoor27th
2005Outdoor29th
2007Outdoor46th
2008Outdoor31st
2009Outdoor25th
2011Outdoor60th
2012Outdoor9th
2013Outdoor23rd
2014Outdoor12th
2016Outdoor20th
2017Outdoor32nd
2018Outdoor46th
2019Outdoor32nd

Volleyball

The Aztecs women's volleyball team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 13–14 through fourteen appearances.
1981Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Semifinals		New Mexico
UC Santa Barbara
UCLA		W 3–0
W 3–0
L 1–3
1982Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Semifinals		Cal
UCLA
USC		W 3–1
W 3–1
L 0–3
1983First Round
Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals		Colorado State
Arizona
Stanford		W 3–0
W 3–1
L 0–3
1984First Round
Regional Semifinals		BYU
USC		W 3–0
L 0–3
1985First RoundHawaiiL 1–3
1986First Round
Regional Semifinals		UC Santa Barbara
Pacific		W 3–1
L 0–3
1988First Round
Regional Semifinals		San Jose State
Hawaii		W 3–1
L 0–3
1989First RoundLong Beach StateL 0–3
1990First Round
Regional Semifinals		BYU
Stanford		W 3–1
L 1–3
1994First Round
Second Round		Memphis
Arizona State		W 3–1
L 2–3
1995Second Round
Regional Semifinals		Long Beach State
Michigan State		W 3–1
L 0–3
1996First Round
Second Round		Sam Houston State
Texas		W 3–1
L 0–3
2001First RoundLong Beach StateL 0–3
2012First RoundSaint Mary'sL 2–3

Water Polo

20074th
20085th
20168th

Conference affiliations

San Diego State has been a member of six different athletic conferences in its history.
In the past, San Diego State has sponsored additional varsity sports programs to those currently sponsored, though they have since been discontinued. Budgeting and Title IX equity challenges have been cited as the primary reason for these programs being cut. In some cases, club teams later emerged in place of discontinued sports programs.

Men's discontinued varsity sports

Crew

19686th247
19709th356
19768th361

Gymnastics

195918th

Swimming & Diving

196927th

Track & Field (Indoor and Outdoor)

1979Indoor60th

1965Outdoor25th
1966Outdoor24th
1969Outdoor19th
1970Outdoor12th
1971Outdoor35th
1974Outdoor16th
1976Outdoor19th
1977Outdoor55th
1979Outdoor28th
1980Outdoor41st
1982Outdoor53rd
1983Outdoor74th
1984Outdoor71st
1989Outdoor67th

Volleyball

The men's volleyball team won San Diego State's first NCAA Division I National Championship in 1973.
1972Semifinals
Championship		UC Santa Barbara
UCLA		W 3–2
L 2–3
1973Semifinals
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.

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.
195633rd1
196917th15
199241st5

Women's discontinued varsity sports

Field Hockey

In addition to the official sports sponsored by the athletic department, San Diego State also offers club-level sports through the Aztec Recreation Center.

Co-ed">Mixed-sex sports">Co-ed club sports

1987#Regional playoff
Semifinals
Final		# Cal Berkeley
  1. Dartmouth College rugby club
  2. United States Air Force Academy rugby club
W 23–12W 22–6
W 10–9

NCAA tournament appearances

The San Diego State Aztecs have competed in the NCAA Tournament across 16 active sports 189 times at the Division I FBS level.
NCAA Tournament Appearances
Baseball : 1979 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1986 • 1990 • 1991 • 2009 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2017 • 2018
Men's basketball : 1975 • 1976 • 1985 • 2002 • 2006 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2018
Women's basketball : 1984 • 1985 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1997 • 2009 • 2010 • 2012
Women's cross country : 1981
Football : 1947 • 1951 • 1966 • 1967 • 1969 • 1986 • 1991 • 1998 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019
Men's golf : 1960 • 1962 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1970 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1999 • 2003 • 2005 • 2008 • 2011 • 2012 • 2015 • 2016
Men's soccer : 1969 • 1982 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 2005 • 2006 • 2016
Women's soccer : 1998 • 1999 • 2009 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2017
Softball : 2001 • 2003 • 2006 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015
Women's swimming and diving : 1982 • 2010 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2017 • 2019
Men's tennis : 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2002 • 2003 • 2005 • 2015
Women's tennis : 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2002 • 2003 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2009 • 2013
Women's indoor track and field : 2006 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019
Women's outdoor track and field : 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1998 • 1999 • 2001 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019
Women's volleyball : 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 2001 • 2012
Women's water polo : 2007 • 2008 • 2016

National Championships

The Aztecs of San Diego State have earned 1 NCAA national championship at the Division I level.
Results
San Diego State won 7 national championships at the Division II level.
Below are eight national team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA :
Below are eleven national club team championships:
San Diego State has had 15 individuals win NCAA individual championships at the Division I level.
At the NCAA Division II level, San Diego State garnered 14 individual championships. In 1975 Barbara Barrow won the women's national intercollegiate individual golf championship after a tie-breaker playoff.

Rivals

Fresno State

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. The two institutions are popular choices and top-tier schools in the California State University system, and often compete for national attention in athletics from conference play to the postseason across many sports.

San Diego

The Aztecs have a local rivalry with the University of San Diego, emphasizing the competition in college men's basketball. The city of San Diego heavily relies on this rivalry, which features many competitions in a neutral location such as Petco Park across many sports. The two schools, approximately separated by 9 miles, have different cultures yet fiercely compete for city visibility, like San Diego State's chants "LITTLE SISTERS!"', "WE RUN SD!", and "WE RUN CALI!'" after each victory in the college rivalry.

Aztec Hall of Fame inductees

The Show

is the name of the student section at all SDSU sporting events.

Band

The San Diego State Marching Aztecs, and Pep and Varsity Bands are often seen at many sporting events including Football, Basketball and even Volleyball.

Notable athletes