Potholes galore on our roads. The Ash Street fiasco. A public pension crisis, a trolley system that doesn’t go to the airport and parking meters sprouting everywhere.
Sometimes, it feels like San Diego can’t get out of its own way.
Let’s appreciate one unheralded public-goods effort that’s a consistent winner.
At breakfast time Friday, San Diego’s State’s Viejas Arena was full of basketball fans from near and far.
The attraction: Another March Madness quadrupleheader on campus.
The catalyst: the San Diegans who pushed for the arena’s construction three decades ago.
A 12,414-seat gem smartly built into the Aztec Bowl football stadium site for a reasonable $29 million, SDSU’s hoops heaven stands now as a quadrennial staple in the high-profile NCAAs.
“This arena is the perfect size,” said a basketball scout from an East Coast university, looking up from courtside Friday. “Nice home. Nice place.”
San Diego’s amazing climate, oddly enough, lent an assist.
Designers wisely put the arena’s concessions traffic and eating areas above all the seats and outdoors, enabling every inch inside to be maximized.
March Madness came calling in 2001, returned in 2006 and from 2014 onward has come back every four years.
Aztecs players did their part to foster this habit, as did coaches Steve Fisher, Brian Dutcher, SDSU students and fans.
Sellout crowds and a spirited students section earned accolades across the country, encouraging the NCAA shot-callers to keep San Diego in the rotation.
If you’ve not attended a subregional here, give it a try in 2030.
The vibe on the first day — a Thursday or a Friday — is like when school lets out for the summer and you can lean into a full weekday of fun.
Soon before the 10:35 a.m. tipoff Friday, the arena was full.
Wilbur T. Wildcat, mascot of the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats, roamed near courtside.
Cheerleaders of the 16th-seeded Long Island University Sharks, wearing powder blue and gold, held up signs.
“D-FINS.” “Fins up.”
LIU cheerleaders perform during a timeout in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament game against Arizona at Viejas Arena on Friday, March 20, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Arizona did what Arizona does, sending out imposing athletes from throughout a broadly built roster — the starters hailing from Southern California, Arizona, New York state, Germany and Lithuania. Off the bench came, among many others, a 6-foot-11 shot-swatter from Senegal.
At halftime, I suggested to the scout that Arizona, which has its most talented roster since star senior Luke Walton led the 2003 squad to the NCAA’s final eight, doesn’t have one subpar player.
“They don’t,” he said.
But the game’s loudest cheer went to a Long Island backup guard, Eddie Munyak, who banked home a 3-point shot in the final minute and hamming it up as he ran up the court.
Even Arizona fans, comforted by a big lead, clapped.
“That’s an awesome moment,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd after the blowout win, “and something he’ll never forget.”
The next game began soon after fans had time to have lunch and walk around.
Utah State, the No. 9 seed, couldn’t match the jersey game of fans who pulled for Villanova, the No. 8 seed.
Jerseys honored forward Ed Pinckney, the most outstanding player of the 1985 NCAAs, which Villanova won in a for-the-ages upset of Georgetown. Others bore the No. 1 of guard Jalen Brunson, who led the Philadelphia school to national titles in 2017 and 2018.
But Utah State was better where it mattered most.
Striking a blow for the Mountain West Conference, which Utah State, SDSU and Boise State are leaving for the Pac-12, the high-altitude Aggies rode their stamina and playmaking down the stretch to book Sunday’s date opposite Arizona.
Afterward, the mutual regard and camaraderie among Utah State’s players stood out.
As four Aggies players sat on a stage next to coach Jerrod Calhoun, they gave off a strong family vibe throughout a new conference.
Utah State bench celebrates during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against Villanova at Viejas Arena on Friday, March 20, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Forecast: Arizona will have too much power and depth for Utah State, but the Aggies will stay within striking distance.
It will be a game worth watching. With Arizona, that’s often the case.
Calhoun said that while he actually doesn’t enjoy watching college basketball, preferring instead to focus on the Euros and Boston Celtics, he will make a point of watching Arizona.
“I love the way they play,” he said, praising Lloyd and the team’s knack for effective spacing and “playing big.”
By 4:25 p.m., the third game tipped off.
Queens-based St. John’s began with a 13-0 run, while tapping into clear advantages in size and explosiveness.
Northern Iowa, outfitted in Lakers-like purple and gold, showed plenty of try-hard but went into halftime down 19 points. The school’s horn section had a good first half, as did its mascot, TC Panther.
An exotic fourth game loomed, matching Riverside-based Cal Baptist and the regal Kansas Jayhawks, a program that boasts four NCAA Tournament titles.
If Sunday serves up just as much fun as Friday — which is likely, especially if Kansas advances out of its late first-round game — fans should thank the visionaries who brainstormed Viejas Arena into existence.