San Diego State’s hopes of a Mountain West title slipped away in crushing fashion over the weekend, falling in double overtime to New Mexico in a game that had everything on the line. That loss not only dashed their shot at hosting - or even playing in - the conference championship, but also left them on the outside looking in as Boise State and UNLV prepare to battle for the crown. And yet, despite the heartbreak, the Aztecs aren’t entirely out of the national conversation.
At 9-3 overall and 6-2 in conference play, San Diego State still managed to earn a sliver of recognition in the latest national polls. They picked up a single vote in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll, keeping their name on the radar, if only just.
In the Coaches Poll, the Aztecs sit alone at the very bottom of the “others receiving votes” section. In the AP poll, they’re tied with Washington and Pittsburgh - not exactly elite company this season, but it’s a nod to the body of work SDSU has put together under second-year head coach Sean Lewis.
Let’s talk about that work. The Aztecs have quietly been building something solid in Lewis’s second season at the helm.
After a rocky stretch in recent years, this campaign was a return to form - a bounce-back that brought them close to the top of the Mountain West standings. All they had to do to clinch a spot in the title game was beat the Lobos.
🦾🌴🐺🪜 pic.twitter.com/sr5ZxPZfv4
— 🔴 Sean Lewis ⚫️ (@TheHC_CoachLew) November 30, 2025
But with SDSU, New Mexico, UNLV, and Boise State all finishing at 6-2 in league play, the tiebreakers came down to computer metrics. And in that math, Boise State came out ahead and will now host UNLV in Friday’s championship matchup.
For San Diego State, it’s a tough pill to swallow - especially considering what was at stake. This was supposed to be their final shot at a Mountain West title before making the jump to the revamped Pac-12 next year.
They’ll be joining Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and Utah State in the new-look league, and there was a real sense of urgency to leave the Mountain West with a trophy in hand. That dream is gone, but the season isn’t over.
Now, the focus shifts to bowl season. The Aztecs will find out their postseason destination next Sunday when the bowl matchups are revealed.
While the Mountain West champion will take on a Pac-12 legacy program in the LA Bowl, San Diego State is likely headed elsewhere - think Arizona Bowl, Frisco Bowl, or another mid-tier postseason game. None of those come with the prestige of a conference title, but they still offer a shot at a 10th win - and that would be a meaningful milestone.
If the Aztecs can notch win No. 10, it would mark their first double-digit win season since 2021. That year, they went 12-2 - the best record in school history - and spent seven weeks ranked in the AP Top 25, peaking at No. 19 and finishing the year at No.
- That 2021 squad was the last Aztecs team to earn a national ranking, and while this year’s group didn’t quite reach those heights, they’ve shown flashes of that same grit and potential.
San Diego State has been no stranger to national recognition in recent years. They were ranked during stretches in 2016, 2017, and 2019, and while this season didn’t end with a championship, the foundation is clearly in place. With a move to a more competitive conference on the horizon, the Aztecs are trending in the right direction - and they’ve got one more game to prove it.