Sports Out West West Coast sports news, scores & analysis — with a national perspective. 
It’s November in San Diego, and with the NFL in full effect, the San Diego Chargers have been a disappointment to say the least.
But it doesn’t matter for those who call America’s Finest City home, because Qualcomm Stadium is not the place to be when it comes to the best sporting event in town.
Photo by S.D. Dirk / Wikimedia Commons
The Aztecs are coming off a year where they finished 26-8 and made their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance before being eliminated in the second round by North Carolina State. They had a bona fide star in Jamal Franklin and are returning many key components from that squad in 2012-2013.
Aside from all of the statistics is the venue.
Viejas Arena, located right on “The Mesa” as the campus is known around town, has become the place to see and be seen. The courtside seats often look like a who’s who of San Diego sports lore. From athletes to A-listers, there’s no telling who Aztec fans might see while attending a game.
And then there’s the student section, easily the most vibrant in the West. There are a lot of places elsewhere that trump it, but as far as passion and dedication, there is no equal to it west of the Rocky Mountains.
The best thing to do is to go and experience it if you have the ability to do so. You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll see something that’s been missing from college hoops out west for a long time. A nationally-competitive team with a solid program and fans that give teams on the East Coast a run for their money in terms of passion. In San Diego or elsewhere in California, there is no equal.
Michael C. Jones is the Editor of Sports Out West. You can follow him on Twitter @MikeJonesTweets.
