Copyright San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego State running back Byron Cardwell, linebacker Mister Williams and safety Max Garrison spread out around campus recently to drum up support for Saturday’s Mountain West game against Wyoming. The theme of their sales pitch: “Make history for homecoming.” They asked fellow students how many fans it takes to fill Snapdragon Stadium. Most of the estimates were well below the stadium’s 35,000 capacity (32,500 seats). The Aztecs are trying for the first sellout in Snapdragon Stadium’s 3 1/2-year history (23 football games) against Wyoming. There were 34,046 for the stadium’s debut against Arizona. That was the announced crowd, however. Turnstile attendance was 26,816. It remains the closest the Aztecs have come to filling all 32,500 seats. Snapdragon has been about half full on average for football games since Snapdragon opened. Turnstle average this season is 18,786 (57.8%) through three home games. SDSU coach Sean Lewis has visited classrooms across campus and at countless places across the county in an effort to eneregize the fan base. He was at the SDSU student center at lunchtime on Wednesday, climbing into a dunk tank to assist with fundraising for “Aztecs Rock Hunger,” a group that raises money to address student food insecurity. “It was refreshing,” said Lewis, referencing both the water temperature and the campus vibe. “It’s great to engage with the student body. It’s great to share the excitement of college life. They’re the heartbeat that makes this go. I can’t wait to see the student section show up and support us on Saturday.” Lewis used the opportunity between dunkings to remind the students about the Cowboys coming to town. “You’re going to the game, right?” he said. Like Cardwell, Williams and Garrison, the coach received replies in the affirmative. Students get in free to SDSU athletic events, although they are charged an athletics fee as part of their tuition. Anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 tickets are distributed to them for football games. Getting the general public to attend has been the challenge. Season ticket sales for the 2025 season are 8,111, according to a school spokesman. That’s just more than half of the 15,973 season tickets sold when Snapdragon debuted in 2022. After SDSU posted 4-8 and 3-9 finishes in back-to-back seasons, winning was supposed to cure the attendance woes. Here are the Aztecs (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) riding a five-game winning streak entering the game against the Cowboys (4-4, 2-2). There were still 6,000 tickets available on the Ticketmaster website when the Union-Tribune checked Wednesday afternoon. Game-week sales are typically slow, due in part (largely?) to ticket prices. There were 220 tickets for the Wyoming game listed at $45 apiece, with most tickets priced anywhere from $80 to $151. Lewis and his staff distributed 4,000 tickets at several community sites and events leading into the Cal game. SDSU officials also did a flash sale that allowed some fans to purchase tickets for $15, a fraction of the regular price. Tickets distributed for the Cal game were 31,369, with 21,819 people in attendance for SDSU’s 34-0 victory. The Aztecs offered each season ticket holder two complimentary tickets to the Colorado State game, a 45-24 Aztecs win. Tickets distributed were 29,019 that week, with 21,024 in the stands. Saturday is homecoming as well as “Heroes Appreciation Night,” with tickets discounted to $29 for military, first responders and health care workers. No other promotions, like flash sales, are planned for this week. “Throughout the season, we periodically offer single-game ticket discounts, a practice consistently implemented this year and aligned with our approach from the previous season,” said Ayo Taylor-Dixon, SDSU’s deputy AD for strategic communications and brand advancement. “However, offering discounts for every game would diminish the value proposition for our season-ticket members. “We do, however, strategically target specific groups for each game, providing them with group ticket options. These groups include, but are not limited to, essential workers, military personnel, educators, alumni, SDSU parents and families, and youth sports organizations.”
