July 25, 2014
SAN DIEGO - Several San Diego State football players were on hand at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA in San Diego on Friday to distribute 1,250 complimentary tickets to children for the Aztecs' home opener against Northern Arizona on Aug. 30 at Qualcomm Stadium.
SDSU senior defensive back J.J. Whittaker, senior punter Joel Alesi, sophomore defensive lineman Alex Barrett, sophomore wide receiver Eric Judge and sophomore offensive lineman Nico Siragusa each showed up to interact with children as part of the YMCA's "Take Five Tickets for Kids" program.
San Diego State has been picked to finish second in the West Division of the Mountain West in the 2014 preseason poll, which matches the Aztecs' highest in the 16-year history of the league (also in 2013). SDSU received 15 first-place votes after earning seven total in the previous 15 preseason polls.
In addition, the Aztecs landed two players on the preseason all-conference team in Whittaker and sophomore running back Donnel Pumphrey, as SDSU joins only Boise State, Fresno State and Utah State as teams to have at least one player each on the offensive and defensive team. San Diego State has now had multiple selections on the preseason all-MW team in a school-record five consecutive seasons.
The Aztecs return 12 starters and 40 letterwinners from a team that finished 8-5 overall and 6-2 in Mountain West play a year ago, culminating with a victory over Buffalo, 49-24, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. With its bowl game appearance, SDSU became one of only 29 teams in the nation, and one of just five non-BCS, schools to play in a bowl game in four-straight years.
Single-game tickets for all San Diego State home games are now on sale to the general public for as low as $12. Fans can purchase tickets at GoAztecs.com, by phone at (619) 283-7378 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or in person at Qualcomm Stadium Window "E" (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.).
Season tickets are currently on sale through GoAztecs.com and the SDSU ticket office at (619) 283-7378. An internet-only presale for the KGB SkyShow game on Nov. 8 against Idaho is now available for KGB listeners, SDSU season-ticket holders and Aztec Nation subscribers.