The San Diego State Aztecs football team competes in American football on behalf of San Diego State University. The Aztecs participate in both the West Division of the Mountain West Conference (MW) and the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Due to their success, they have fantastic Fanduel NCAA football odds to watch out for.
They have had many stadiums over the years, and are currently under the direction of Brady Hoke. At the small college level, they have won 21 conference titles and three national championships. Thus, they are always a team to keep an eye out for.
Read on to learn more about the San Diego State Aztecs.
Team Name Origins
Two distinct schools used to make up San Diego State University. The school colors of San Diego Normal School were white and gold. Blue and gold were the official colors of San Diego Junior College. In 1921, the decision was made to combine the schools to become San Diego State College.
They played their very first football game in the 1921–1922 academic year. Charles E. Peterson was at that time San Diego State’s most important athlete figure, who coached the team.
Peterson advised the students to choose a nickname for the team during the fall of 1924. The term “Aztecs” was selected by student leaders in 1925. They believed the language was more evocative of the American Southwest.
Students then picked scarlet and black to be the team colors on January 19, 1928. These colors are still the same today.
Football History
The San Diego State Aztecs went unnoticed for a long time, when they were first introduced to football. They really started to make a name for themselves in 1961, when they were coached by Don Coryell. For a total of 12 seasons, Coryell led the Aztecs as head coach, enlisting solely players from junior colleges. He had three undefeated seasons during 1966, 1968, and 1969, finishing with a record of 104 victories, 19 losses, and two ties.
From 1978 through 1999, the squad competed in the Western Athletic Conference. The record-breaking quarterbacks and NFL draft worthy players Dan McGwire and Todd Santos led the Aztecs in the 1980s. In 1986, the Aztecs defeated Iowa at home during the Holiday Bowl after winning the WAC Championship. The team then faced Miami in a game in 1990 that saw many bloody brawls.
During his tenure as head coach, from 2011 to 2015, Rocky Long guided the Aztecs to five straight bowl games and the school’s first shared Mountain West championship in 2012. In 2015, the team won the championship thanks to him.
Now the team is led by Brady Hoke. He originally coached the team from 2008 to 2010. Then after Long stepped down in 2015, he retook the position. Recently, the Aztecs won the Mountain West championship in 2016 under his direction.
Stadiums
The San Diego State Aztecs have called 5 stadiums their home so far.
Balboa Stadium (1921–1935) – This was where the team first played their games. It could hold just 15,000 people but was later improved to house 34,000 seats.
Aztec Bowl (1935–1966) – Home games used to be played on the on campus stadium. This stadium was later converted into a new and improved basketball stadium for the Aztec teams.
San Diego Stadium (1967–2019) – For a long time this was the home for the football team, and went by various names such as the Jack Murphy Stadium and SDCCU Stadium.
Dignity Health Sports Park (2020–2021) – During the 2020 to 2021 season, the team played at the Dignity Health Sports Park stadium in California while their new stadium was being built.
Snapdragon Stadium (2022 – Present) – Qualcomm, which originally sponsored the stadium, signed a naming rights agreement with the institution during development. As a result, the new stadium debuted under the name Snapdragon Stadium, after Qualcomm’s system-on-chip.
Traditions
Many traditions are associated with this team, the main one being night games.
Football at San Diego State University has developed a tradition of playing at night. Their initial night game took place in 1930. The Aztecs defeated the San Diego Marines in front of more than 5,000 supporters. Since that time, both home and away Aztec games have been played the majority at night.
Another tradition is the Aztec shield. An Aztec warrior shield stands by the squad during both home and away matches. The captains raise the shield throughout the recitation of the Fight Song after victories.
The final tradition is the warrior walks which often take place 2 hours prior to kickoff. The San Diego State Marching Aztecs, extra members of the spirit squad, and spectators follow the team. This is as they make their way from the stadium parking lot to the tunnel that leads them onto the field.
Final Thoughts
The San Diego State Aztecs are an interesting football team to follow. They have won 21 championships and are a team to a team to keep an eye out for.
We hope this article has given you a better insight into this team.
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