SAN DIEGO – In a show of support and to honor Native American populations and Aboriginal youth, including the 22 federally recognized indigenous tribes in the state of Arizona, the San Diego State men's basketball team will don its Nike N7 turquoise uniforms when it plays in the 2022 Jerry Colangelo Classic against the Saint Mary's Gaels on Saturday afternoon at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
SDSU debuted its Nike N7 uniforms against CS Bakersfield on November 20, 2014, to highlight the importance of bringing sport and physical activity to Native American and Aboriginal youth and to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
With more Native American tribes in San Diego than anywhere in the country, San Diego State and Nike N7 have teamed up to leverage basketball as a way of showing how Native youth can lead physically active lifestyles to be a positive force of change for future generations.
Since first donning the Nike N7 uniforms in the 2014-15 season, the San Diego State-Nike N7 partnership has represented the University's commitment to the education, health and wellness of indigenous communities. Through SDSU's partnership with Intertribal Sports, the school has been able to introduce Native American youth to the rich opportunities for learning and career development that exist on university campuses.
The San Diego State campus itself resides on Kumeyaay land and is the home to Viejas Arena, an American Indian Studies department and multiple research initiatives. In addition, the Elymash Yuchaap Indigenous Scholars and Leaders program at SDSU has created new opportunities for students to develop as leaders through the lens of their own identities.
San Diego State is undefeated, 9-0, when it has played in its Nike N7 uniforms, including most recently in a 72-69 victory against UC Irvine on November 29. The turquoise color of the Nike N7 uniforms is deeply symbolic of friendship and community in Native American culture, reflecting San Diego State's support in elevating the power of sport inside and outside Native communities. A color of strength, the turquoise uniforms serve as the team's suit of armor.
Since its creation in 2009, the Nike N7 Fund has awarded more than $7 million in grants to Native American and Aboriginal communities and organizations, reaching more than 500,000 youths. The N7 Fund supports organizations that provide sport and physical activity programming to youth in these communities.
Arizona is home to one of the largest urban Native American populations of any U.S. state and tribal lands and reservations account for more than a quarter of the state's total land area.
To recognize Native American populations during the 2022-23 NBA season, the Suns and Nike created an NBA City Edition uniform which honors Arizona's 22 federally recognized indigenous tribes with its symbolic turquoise color and design details. The Suns debuted its City Edition uniforms at its November 16 game against the Golden State Warriors, will wear them 10 times at home and seven time on the road, primarily focusing on cities with large indigenous populations.
The Aztecs and Saint Mary's tipoff at 1 p.m. MT, at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix with the game being streamed on ESPN+.