They’re in a new conference, the Pac 12.

They have a bigger TV-Media deal

They are coming off a solid 9-win season.

Yes college football is still in a state of chaos, the Transfer Portal, the NIL war, lawsuits everywhere, but San Diego State has arrived at a new destination.

It has taken them decades to get their mail sent to the Pac 12-mailing address,   Granted there is no USC-UCLA rivalry; Oregon and Washington are gone.  The Aztecs have arrived along with their other Mountain West partners, looking for a better day ahead.

However it’s still hard not to think of this new beginning as anything more than Mountain West 2.0, though when basketball rolls around, Gonzaga will be join the party.

But for SDSU, it is a new beginning, that actually started when Don Coryell took a Division II-Aztecs program and made it something.  More recently, there were very good seasons, under Rocky Long and Brady Hoke.

There’s the shiny new Snapdragon Stadium, with the hope the many empty seats will be filled as the program wins again, and hopefully plays a better schedule in the future.

Alot of hard work went into this Pac 12-launch.  Stars, stops, disappointments, lawsuits and the like.  But for the first day as a member of the Pac 12-Conference, alot of smiles and optimism was everywhere at Aztecs Media Day.

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Athletic Director JD Wicker:

 Excited to play in elevated level of sports in the new conference

Our President uunderstands the importance of our Athletic program.

This is a challenging time in football-our Department stepped up to help us

This is an evolving landscape

Revenue share-NIL money is part of our eco system

Alot of people have stepped us-a record fund raisiing year

We raised 8M for our athletes

Buy season tickets helps us…a (175) season ticket helps us grow this

We heard the fans-we lowered ticket prices

We are now offering holders pre-Olympic ticket purchases

This town has to step up to fill Snapdragon Stadium

We sold 15,000-season tickets in year one…we need to do that each year

See what sellouts at Aztecs basketball brought us..especially the Show

We can create a great environment at Snapdragon with sellouts

We are developing a Broadcast Center, a nutrition program for all athletes 

Sean Lewis dedication to work thru the complex things college athletics has become

Winning great, championships great, but getting students ready for next step in life

This is one step in building this program..we always punched above our weight

Biggest issue making this conference come together

Teresa Gould-Oregon State-Washington State had alot to [process

We got it done

The 5-year TV deal will be lucrative-exposure on CW-CBS-USA will help us nationally

We will not reveal the dollar amount yet

I am in favor of the Save College Sports Act and the anti-trust exemption

Limiting right of action in state court will be important

String of lawsuits on every issue has hurt the game

All this must get out of state court

Ability to set transfer rules (1-transfer rule) will stabilize us

A cap rule on payments in necessary so

Anti trust will give us a follow all group to refine the College Sports Act

This is not MW2.0…People know the Pac 12-brand nationwide

We win championships and recognition will come

Pac 12 was an autonomy conference…NCAA did not tell us what it would take

We just have to be Group of 6-power and prove ourselves

College Playoffs…let it stay at 12-and see it grow..stop changing rules

Flex schedule-challenge was timing..schedules set years in advance

It solves the problem immediately-made most sense..will revisit it..is difference

Future plan..if we are successful each year..people see success..schools may come to us

We need to play well at a national level by 2029-2031 things could change again

This will be a very competitive conference top to bottom in football

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Coach Sean Lewis

43-days from opening night

The leadership of this school has been superb to guide us to the Pac 12

We are in lockstop to win, and help men grow in life

Pac 12-leader Teresa Gould has great courage-vision

This staff has helped us stay ahead of the ever changing college game

Last year was last year…on to this year..yes 51-new players in the program

Unique camp-so many challenges

August 5th-to-August 22nd before classes start-will get great work in

San Diego..embrace this football team..need to sell out Snapdragon

Pac 12-national brand on a national stage now

This is year one for this team..regardless of what we did last year.

51-newcomers…15-transfers on defense…it is part of this business now

Landscape has changed alot..my job is with these players

107-players to pay attention to

There are 7-new coaches in this conference-everyone in the same boat

Winning helps us-last year’s success had led to us get 30-early commits

We had spring ball to look at these players-we are operating at a faster clip

We have an experienced QB-Denegal…we have Napier and WRs back..Lucky Sutton back

Jayden Denegal-QB position is so unique-alot of intangibles on his shoulder

He exceeded alot of things last year-despite injuries-now healthy-student of game

He learned from bad decisions playing under fire

Lucky Sutton couldn’t catch a bus much less a ball..now he is a complete RB

Jordan Napier-to-Bert Emanuel…very deep WR group…no holes in their resumes

Our job is to coach the many newcomers up-including the 15-new transfers

Last year’s defense was elite..very excited to see the newcomers

Brady Nassar-DE…LB-Temo Letuli is now healthy

Find guys to earn their roles on defense now

There is a chip on the shoulder of these newcomers

Coach Sumlin as new Def Coor-so much experience…elite problem solver

Off season-we changed our conditioning program clock

We will run in mid-day now to condition in hot weather

Working on new rule changes…don’t think we can run 90-plays per game

Excited to see what our new identity is going to be.

We need to be us..win…in the new Pac 12.

Alot of good people have done good things in the past

Not concerned with kicking the door down-just win

Want 1-time Transfer Portal will bring stability to kids and programs this spring

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