San Diego State football season-ticket prices went down.
Basketball season tickets are going up.
The school sent out renewal forms Wednesday with an across-the-board 7.5% increase following what many fans consider one of the most disappointing seasons in years.
“This adjustment reflects our ongoing commitment to investing in the resources necessary to compete at the highest level in college athletes,” an email to season-ticket holders said.
That’s code for paying athletes unprecedented amounts. In 2025-26, according to a public records request, SDSU distributed $2.7 million in revenue sharing to men’s basketball players and $2.9 million to football players. Those levels, multiple sources have said, have nearly doubled for 2026-27 and still remain many times lower than most power conference programs.
In an effort to boost dwindling attendance, SDSU reduced football season ticket prices for next season between 4% and 12% in most seating areas and as much as 35% for in others. It also eliminated the mandatory “stadium excellence gift,” which ranged from $100 to $1,500, that helped defray costs of building $310 million Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley.
The basketball team under coach Steve Fisher and now Brian Dutcher has cultivated a more loyal and robust fan base, having reached 12 of the last 16 NCAA Tournaments, four Sweet 16s and one Final Four. Most seasons are followed by price increases, including a 20% hike after the Aztecs reached the 2023 national championship game.
Last year, the bump following a Sweet 16 appearance was a more modest 2.5%.
This year’s 7.5% increase comes after being one of the first teams left out of the NCAA Tournament and declining invitations to lesser events. And after a decline in attendance that may be an indication of a fan base fatigued by prices, a lack of marquee nonconference games, high roster turnover and the general upheaval in college athletics.
In 2024-25, 14 of 15 games at Viejas Arena had announced sellouts of 12,414. The one that didn’t was 12,366 against Division III Occidental.
Last season, only six of 16 home games were sellouts. Average announced attendance slipped from 12,411 to 11,567 per game, and was as low as 10,295 for a Mountain West matchup against perennial contender Boise State that went to triple overtime.
The danger, then, becomes losing more money from fewer renewals than the increased revenue from the price hike.
Asked via text if he has concerns about raising ticket prices after the football experience, Wicker said: “You always have some concern. I have talked to a variety of season-ticket holders about it, and most have been good with it. Some wanted us to go higher so Dutch could have more rev share to work with.”
Men’s basketball seating at Viejas Arena is divided into eight color-coded areas based on location. The lowest courtside “tan” section increases from $3,106 to $3,338 for the upcoming season, which includes $1,130 for the actual ticket plus a mandatory $2,208 Aztec Club membership fee.
Mid-level courtside seats went from $2,306 to $2,478. Mid-level seats behind the baskets went from $1,153 to $1,239. The cheapest areas, the upper rows with bench seating, cost between $280 and $331 now.
About 2,500 seats are distributed free to students, since Viejas Arena was built by a student referendum and is still operated by the Associated Students organization. In addition, the school recently raised mandatory student athletic fees by 41%, from $580 per year to $840, that will be phased in over three years.
Harrington has surgery
Freshman guard Elzie Harrington had surgery to correct a lower leg issue that sidelined him for 10 of the team’s 33 games and the entire Mountain West tournament. SDSU has never fully disclosed the nature of the injury, only that it caused him significant pain.
Harrington has not commented on the surgery but recently posted a photo on social media of his right leg in a brace.
“The surgery went well, and he’s on the rehab train now,” said Dutcher, who is restricted from providing more details by student and medical privacy laws. “Hopefully that goes well and he’s back to full strength and full go in a couple months.”
The plan, Dutcher said, is to have him back for fall workouts but “probably nothing live in the summer” when the team gathers for workouts starting in early July.
“Once he starts to rehab and he starts hitting markers, then that will determine how quickly he’ll get back to full strength,” Dutcher said.
Harrington, one of four returnees from last season’s roster, moved into the starting lineup after five games and averaged 8.0 points and 2.3 assists per game while shooting a team-leading 43.6% on 3s. He had a career-high 20 points in the triple OT win against Boise State and 15 in a loss against eventual national champion Michigan.