San Diego State Aztecs


The San Diego State Aztecs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San Diego State University. The university fields 17 varsity teams in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, primarily as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs football team competes in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|Football Bowl Subdivision], the highest level of NCAA football competition. The Aztecs nickname was chosen by students in 1925; team colors are scarlet and black. As of 2021, athletes from the university had won 14 medals at the List of [American universities with Olympic medals|Olympic Games].
Its primary conference is the Mountain West Conference; its women's rowing team competes in the American Athletic Conference, its women's water polo team participates in the Golden Coast Conference, and its men's soccer team is a single-sport member of the Pac-12 Conference. The ice hockey team competes in the ACHA with other western region club teams. The university colors are scarlet and black, SDSU's athletic teams are called the "Aztecs", and its mascot is the Aztec Warrior, formerly referred to as "Monty Montezuma".
As of 2021, athletes from the university have won 14 medals at the Olympic Games.
WWW Official Site𝕏 GoAztecsFB goaztecs

History

The first major sport on campus was rowing, but it initially had no coaches or tournaments. Other sports that developed early in the campus's history were tennis, basketball, golf, croquet, and baseball. Early on, the school's football program had such a limited selection of players that faculty had to be used to fill the roster. When the college merged with the junior college in 1921, the college became a member of the Junior College Conference. After the school won most of the conference titles in a variety of sports, the league requested that college leave out of fairness to the smaller schools. For its football program, the team outscored its opponents 249 to 52 in ten games, resulting in the first sales of season tickets in 1923. From 1925 to 1926, the college played as an independent. It then joined the Southern [California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|Southern California Conference] in 1926, where it did not win a football conference championship until 1936. However, in other sports including tennis and basketball, it excelled. The college remained with the conference until 1939, when it joined the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
The basketball team reached and won multiple championship games during the 1930–1940s, including a conference title in 1931, 1934, 1937, and 1939. It reached the national championship in 1939 and 1940, losing in the final rounds. However, in 1941 the college returned and won the college's first national title. In track, the team won conference titles in 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939. The football team won conference titles in 1936 and 1937, and the baseball team won three conference titles and placed second three times between 1935 and 1941.
In 1955, the Aztec Club was established and raised $20,000 a year by 1957. The club worked in increasing athletic scholarships, hiring better coaches, and developing the college's intercollegiate athletic programs. In 1956, students approved through a vote of allowing a mandatory student activity fee, with a portion going to athletics. By the end of the decade the budget had doubled to $40,000. The campus's most successful sports program during the 1950s was cross-country, when the team won eight straight conference titles and AAU regional titles and placed high in national competitions. Basketball teams ranged from last in the conference to multiple conference, regional, and national appearances. The football program had its first undefeated team in 1951, but in the last part of the decade earned the worst records in the school's football program under the direction of head coach Paul Governali.
Under Governali, the campus's football program suffered due to Governali's policy of not recruiting players. To improve the program, Love hired in 1961 Don Coryell, who led the program win three consecutive championships, and 104 wins, 19 losses, and 2 ties by the time he left SDSU. Coryell was assisted by John Madden, Joe Gibbs, and Rod Dowhower, among others. In Coryell's first year, attendance at home games averaged 8,000 people, but by 1966 it had doubled to 16,000. This later jumped to 26,000–41,000 per game with the addition of the new San Diego Stadium. At some games, attendance was larger than at San Diego Chargers games. There were several undefeated seasons and many players broke records for most catches, touchdowns, and passing yards. In 1969, San Diego State College moved into NCAA Division I, leaving the California Collegiate Athletic Association. In 1972, Coyrell left to pursue coaching in the NFL.
Basketball also did well, with the 1967–68 team being ranked the number one college-level team in the nation, although it did not win a national title. The Aztecs also won the 1960 CCAA baseball title and multiple national championships throughout the 1960s in track, cross country, and swimming.
By 1970–71, the campus had 14 NCAA sports. The 1973 men's volleyball team won the NCAA national championship which was the first NCAA national title since moving to Division I status.
SDSU competes in NCAA Division I. Its primary conference is the Mountain West Conference; its women's rowing team competes in the American Athletic Conference, its women's water polo team participates in the Golden Coast Conference, and its men's soccer team is a single-sport member of the Pac-12 Conference. The ice hockey team competes in the ACHA with other western region club teams. The university colors are scarlet and black, SDSU's athletic teams are called the "Aztecs", and its mascot is the Aztec Warrior, formerly referred to as "Monty Montezuma".

Sports sponsored

Men's varsity sports

Baseball

1979 [NCAA Division I baseball tournament|1979]2-2Lost 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.

Football

file:MarshallFaulkSDSUGameBall.jpg|thumb|170px|Marshall Faulk's game ball from the September 14, 1991, game, when he ran for an NCAA record and scored 44 points
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 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. 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, for the 2022 season. 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.
January 1, 1948Bill SchutteHarbor BowlHardin–SimmonsL 0–53
January 1, 1952Bill SchuttePineapple BowlHawaiiW 34–13
December 10, 1966Don CoryellCamellia BowlMontana StateW 28–7
December 9, 1967Don CoryellCamellia BowlSan Francisco StateW 27–6
December 6, 1969Don CoryellPasadena BowlBoston UniversityW 28–7
December 30, 1986Denny StolzHoliday Bowl#16 IowaL 38–39
December 30, 1991Al LuginbillFreedom Bowl#23 TulsaL 17–28
December 19, 1998Ted TollnerLas Vegas BowlNorth CarolinaL 13–20
December 23, 2010Brady HokePoinsettia BowlNavyW 35–14
December 17, 2011Rocky LongNew Orleans BowlLouisianaL 30–32
December 20, 2012Rocky LongPoinsettia BowlBYUL 6–23
December 21, 2013Rocky LongFamous Idaho Potato BowlBuffaloW 49–24
December 23, 2014Rocky LongPoinsettia BowlNavyL 16–17
December 24, 2015Rocky LongHawaii BowlCincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]W 42–7
December 17, 2016Rocky LongLas Vegas BowlHoustonW 34–10
December 23, 2017Rocky LongArmed Forces BowlArmyL 35–42
December 19, 2018Rocky LongFrisco BowlOhioL 0–27
December 21, 2019Rocky LongNew Mexico BowlCentral MichiganW 48–11
December 21, 2021Brady HokeFrisco BowlUTSAW 38–24
December 24, 2022Brady HokeHawaii BowlMiddle TennesseeL 25–23

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 National Baseball [Hall of Fame and Museum|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.
1975Round of 32#16 L 80–90
1976Round of 32#5 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team|UCLA]L 64–74
198513 WRound of 64 #9 UNLVL 80–85
200213 MRound of 64 #13 IllinoisL 64–93
200611 WRound of 64 IndianaL 83–87
201011 MRound of 64 #15 TennesseeL 59–62
20112 WRound of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		 Northern Colorado
Temple
#9 Connecticut		W 68–50
W 71–64 2OT
L 67–74
20126 MRound of 64 NC StateL 65–79
20137 SRound of 64
Round of 32		 Oklahoma
Florida Gulf Coast		W 70–55
L 71–81
20144 WRound of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		 New Mexico State
North Dakota State
#4 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team|Arizona]		W 73–69 OT
W 63–44
L 64–70
20158 SRound of 64
Round of 32		 St. John's
#4 Duke		W 76–64
L 49–68
201811 WRound of 64 #21 HoustonL 65–67
20216 MWRound of 64 SyracuseL 62–78
20228 MWRound of 64 CreightonL 69–72 OT
20235 SRound of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 Charleston
Furman
#1 Alabama
Creighton
#25 Florida Atlantic
#10 UConn		W 63–57
W 75–52
W 71–64
W 57–56
W 72–71
L 59–76
20245 ERound of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		 UAB
Yale
#1 UConn		W 69–65
W 85–57
L 82–52

Golf

The Aztecs men's golf team has more NCAA postseason appearances than any other San Diego State athletic team. Notable alumni include major champions Gene Littler, Xander Schauffele, and J.J. Spaun. In 2017, Schauffele received the 2017 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.
195010th606
196014th625
196215th637
196524th620
19666th604
196723rd613
197016th1,230
197120th585
197216th603
197417th606
197519th606
197618th1,205
197715th1,248
197812th1,190
197926th943
198022nd917
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 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. Lev Kirshner was head coach for over two decades.
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

  • Head Coach: Gene Carswell
  • Home court: Aztec Tennis Center
  • Mountain West Conference regular season championships: 6
  • Mountain West Conference tournament championships: 3
  • NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championship tournament appearances: 7
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

  • Head Coach: Lauren Dobashi
  • Mountain West Conference championships: 2
Notable alumni include 2015 graduate Paige Spiranac.

Lacrosse

  • Head Coach: Kylee White
  • Home field: Aztec Lacrosse Field
  • Conference championships: 2
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 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.

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 Regional.
20090–2Eliminated by Cal State Fullerton in the Tempe Regional.
20101–2Eliminated by Fresno State in the Los Angeles Regional.
20112-2Lost in the Tempe Regional finals to Arizona State.
20122-2Lost in the Tampa Regional finals to Hofstra.
20131–2Eliminated by Georgia in the Tempe Regional.
20141–2Eliminated by Michigan in the Tallahassee Regional.
20152-2Lost in the Los Angeles Regional finals to UCLA.

Swimming & Diving

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

Tennis

  • Head Coach: Peter Mattera
  • Home court: Aztec Tennis Center
  • Mountain West Conference regular season championships: 3
  • Mountain West Conference tournament championships: 1
  • NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship appearances: 22
1982First round
Quarterfinals		Northwestern
Trinity		W 8–1
L 3–6
1983First round
Quarterfinals		Miami (FL)
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.

Discontinued sports

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. In some cases, club teams have emerged in place of discontinued sports programs.

Men's former varsity sports

Crew
  • Year discontinued: 1976
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.
19686th247
19709th356
19768th361

Gymnastics
195918th

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.
196927th

Track & Field
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.
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. The team's home court was Peterson Gymnasium.
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
  • Year discontinued: 1978
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 former varsity sports

Field Hockey
  • Year discontinued: 1978
Gymnastics
  • Year discontinued: 1985

Rowing

  • Year discontinued: 2021
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.

Non-varsity club sports

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.
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.

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

  • Cycling
  • Sailing
  • Skiing & Snowboarding
  • Surfing
  • Tennis
  • Triathlon
  • Waterskiing & Wakesports

Men's club teams

  • Baseball
  • Crew
  • Ice Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Rugby
  • Soccer
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball
  • Water Polo

Women's club teams

  • Dance
  • Gymnastics
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball
  • Water Polo

Championships

NCAA tournament appearances

The San Diego State Aztecs have competed in the NCAA tournament across 16 active sports 191 times at the Division I FBS level.Baseball : 1979 β€’ 1981 β€’ 1982 β€’ 1983 β€’ 1984 β€’ 1986 β€’ 1990 β€’ 1991 β€’ 2009 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2015 β€’ 2017 β€’ 2018Men's basketball : 1975 β€’ 1976 β€’ 1985 β€’ 2002 β€’ 2006 β€’ 2010 β€’ 2011 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2015 β€’ 2018 β€’ 2021 β€’ 2022Women's basketball : 1984 β€’ 1985 β€’ 1993 β€’ 1994 β€’ 1995 β€’ 1997 β€’ 2009 β€’ 2010 β€’ 2012Women's cross country : 1981Football : 1947 β€’ 1951 β€’ 1966 β€’ 1967 β€’ 1969 β€’ 1986 β€’ 1991 β€’ 1998 β€’ 2010 β€’ 2011 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2015 β€’ 2016 β€’ 2017 β€’ 2018 β€’ 2019Men's golf : 1960 β€’ 1962 β€’ 1965 β€’ 1966 β€’ 1967 β€’ 1970 β€’ 1976 β€’ 1977 β€’ 1978 β€’ 1979 β€’ 1980 β€’ 1981 β€’ 1982 β€’ 1983 β€’ 1984 β€’ 1999 β€’ 2003 β€’ 2005 β€’ 2008 β€’ 2011 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2015 β€’ 2016Men's soccer : 1969 β€’ 1982 β€’ 1987 β€’ 1988 β€’ 1989 β€’ 2005 β€’ 2006 β€’ 2016Women's soccer : 1998 β€’ 1999 β€’ 2009 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2017Softball : 2001 β€’ 2003 β€’ 2006 β€’ 2008 β€’ 2009 β€’ 2010 β€’ 2011 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2015 2022 Women's swimming and diving : 1982 β€’ 2010 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2015 β€’ 2017 β€’ 2019Men's tennis : 1998 β€’ 1999 β€’ 2000 β€’ 2002 β€’ 2003 β€’ 2005 β€’ 2015Women's tennis : 1982 β€’ 1983 β€’ 1984 β€’ 1985 β€’ 1986 β€’ 1989 β€’ 1990 β€’ 1991 β€’ 1992 β€’ 1993 β€’ 1996 β€’ 1997 β€’ 1998 β€’ 1999 β€’ 2000 β€’ 2002 β€’ 2003 β€’ 2005 β€’ 2006 β€’ 2007 β€’ 2009 β€’ 2013Women's indoor track and field : 2006 β€’ 2008 β€’ 2009 β€’ 2010 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2017 β€’ 2018 β€’ 2019Women's outdoor track and field : 1982 β€’ 1983 β€’ 1984 β€’ 1985 β€’ 1986 β€’ 1998 β€’ 1999 β€’ 2001 β€’ 2003 β€’ 2004 β€’ 2005 β€’ 2007 β€’ 2008 β€’ 2009 β€’ 2011 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2013 β€’ 2014 β€’ 2016 β€’ 2017 β€’ 2018 β€’ 2019Women's volleyball : 1981 β€’ 1982 β€’ 1983 β€’ 1984 β€’ 1985 β€’ 1986 β€’ 1988 β€’ 1989 β€’ 1990 β€’ 1994 β€’ 1995 β€’ 1996 β€’ 2001 β€’ 2012Women's water polo : 2007 β€’ 2008 β€’ 2016

National championships

Division I championships

The Aztecs of San Diego State have earned 1 NCAA national championship at the Division I level.Men's Volleyball : 1973
1972–73Men's volleyballLong Beach State3–1

Division II championships

San Diego State won 7 national championships while at the Division II level.
  • Men's cross country : 1965, 1966, 1967
  • Men's track and field : 1965, 1966
  • Men's swimming and diving : 1965, 1966
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 :
  • Football : [NCAA Division II Football Championship|1966 (both polls), 1967 (both polls), 1968 (coaches' poll)]

NAIA championship

Basketball : 1941

Other championships

SDSU's cheerleading and dance teams have won national championships.
  • Cheerleading : 2009, 2011
  • Dance : 2011
Below are eleven national club team championships:
  • Men's badminton : 1976
  • Flowboarding : 2011
  • Rugby : 1987
  • Sailing : 1968, 1969
  • Surfing : 2007, 2013
  • Men's water polo : 2017
  • Women's water polo : 2014
  • Waterskiing : 1979, 2006

Individual Championships

San Diego State has had 15 individuals win NCAA individual national 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

BYU

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.

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.

San Diego

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.

UC San Diego

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".

San Jose State

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 (California)|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.

Notable athletes