The San Diego State Aztecs didn’t win the national championship in men’s college basketball this season, but they came closer than any other team which fell short of that goal. The Aztecs lost to Connecticut in the title game in Houston, but they were one of the two teams left standing on Monday night. Every other school, every other player, every other coach was watching two teams in the final game of a season which began in early November of 2022.
San Diego State was one of those two teams. The Aztecs produced the greatest season in program history. They created the most memorable moment of the 2023 Final Four with their buzzer-beating victory over Florida Atlantic in Saturday’s semifinal.
San Diego State has dramatically raised the profile of the university. The Aztecs have increased the value of their national brand. They are poised to grow as a school and as an athletic program on the basis of this run. We have seen it at other schools such as Gonzaga and Butler and Wichita State.
Now we will wait and see when — and how — George Kliavkoff tries to line up his media rights deal, his invitation to San Diego State, and his larger overall vision for the Pac-12 Conference. It’s very likely SDSU will receive an invitation. How the Aztecs are incorporated into a larger plan is the real question mark.
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