SDSU Aztecs struggle to fill seats at Snapdragon Stadium

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Sellout crowds are not rare at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego FC and San Diego Wave FC routinely pack the house, but the owners of the stadium, the San Diego State Aztecs, are struggling to keep their fans coming and staying past halftime, leaving one journalist student from San Diego State wondering where everyone is at.

Student and The Daily Aztec sports reporter Conner Larson says except for the UC Berkeley game, attendance by students and San Diegans to support the Aztecs has been anemic.

“First game at Snapdragon Stadium against Stony Brook, opening game, it was on a Thursday, but nobody was there. It was a very empty stadium, I think there was 20,000 attendance number for a 35,000-seat stadium on opening night, and then everybody left at halftime," Larson said.

Even Aztec head coach Sean Lewis pitched his school directly to get them to the game.

“I encourage our students to come out as well, tickets on me and also we even have some sweet shades, so students if you would come out,” Lewis said.

With a record of 3-1, Larson says Aztec Nation should wake up to the strength of their own team.

“The defense is number 1 in the Mountain West, they are the premier group,” Larson said.

Sleeper or not, students are starting to understand the assignment.

“I think it just people's attention span, that's not the Aztecs' fault,” one freshman student said.

“I stay in my seat, I’m walking throughout the stadium. This weekend, my parents and I will be staying the whole time, I love watching football,” said another student.