SDSU Men's Basketball Releases 2016-17 Schedule

SDSU's season opener will be Nov. 11 at Viejas Arena against the University of San Diego.

Thursday, September 8, 2016
Trey Kell dribbles past a San Jose State defender across the court. (Photo: Ernie Anderson)
Trey Kell dribbles past a San Jose State defender across the court. (Photo: Ernie Anderson)
San Diego State has released its men’s basketball schedule for the 2016-17 campaign. The Aztecs will play seven home games, which includes exhibitions and non-conference contests, before the Mountain West season begins on Jan. 1.

This year, SDSU will play two exhibition games beginning with UC San Diego on Nov. 3. Four days later on Nov. 7, San Diego State will welcome Cal State San Marcos to Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. Both have 7 p.m. PT start times.

The games will count starting Nov. 11 when cross-town foe San Diego heads east on Interstate 8. The Aztecs have won nine of the last 10 meetings and seven straight on Montezuma Mesa. This year’s City Championship will tip at 8 p.m. PT on ESPNU.

As previously announced, SDSU will travel to play Gonzaga on Nov. 14 in a 9 p.m. PT game on ESPN2. It will be followed by a Nov. 16 clash with San Diego Christian. The Aztecs will look to improve 7-0 all-time vs. the Hawks at 7 p.m. PT.

SDSU will then depart for Sacramento to face California at Golden 1 Center on Nov. 21. The game will air on Pac-12 Networks at 8 p.m. PT with the Aztecs in search of their fourth straight win over the Golden Bears.
 
The schedule does not get any easier as SDSU is scheduled to travel to Chicago to face Loyola in the annual Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge. SDSU will look to improve upon its 4-1 record in Challenge games on Dec. 3. The tip time has not been set by the Ramblers.

The Aztecs will put the finishing touches on their three-game road trip with a quick jaunt to Phoenix, Ariz. to face Grand Canyon. The clash is set for Dec. 7 and is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. MT.

Two home games are up next for SDSU with a pair of ASUs visiting America’s Finest City. First up is Arizona State on Dec. 10, which will air live on CBS Sports Network at 4 p.m. PT. Then on Dec. 12, Alabama State steps onto Steve Fisher Court for a 7 p.m. PT game that will stream live on the internet via Campus Insiders.

The schedule then takes the Aztecs to Hawaii for the holiday season where they will compete in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. SDSU will open the tournament vs. Southern Miss on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. HT (Dec. 22) and then face either Tulsa on Stephen F. Austin the next day (11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. HT). The final day of games is set for Dec. 25.

San Diego State is still in search of one last non-conference contest, which will be announced at a later date along with other possible television details for the remaining non-TV games.

The Aztecs’ Mountain West schedule was announced in June, but with the league’s television partners selecting their games and start times, eight of SDSU’s contests have changed dates by one day.

The first game moved was SDSU’s league opener vs. New Mexico at home. It was originally set for Dec. 31, but it is now scheduled for Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.

San Diego State’s home game vs. San José State was originally to be played on Jan. 11, but has been reassigned to Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.

The Aztecs had back-to-back road games moved from Wednesday to Tuesday. Instead of playing on Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 at UNLV and Air Force, respectively, San Diego State will face the Runnin’ Rebels on Jan. 17 (8 p.m. PT) and the Falcons on Jan. 24 (9 p.m. MT). Both will air on either ESPNU or ESPN3.

SDSU was set to face Wyoming at Viejas Arena on Feb. 1, but it has since been moved to Jan. 31 with an 8 p.m. PT start time on CBS Sports Network.

SSU’s next CBS Sports Network game is slated for Feb. 7 at San José State. The 8 p.m. PT tilt was originally planned for Feb. 8.

The final two affected home games feature the Mountain West’s two Silver State schools in Nevada and UNLV. The Aztecs were penned to face the Wolf Pack on Feb. 11, but will now face Nevada on Feb. 12. As for the Runnin’ Rebels, they were to come to campus on Feb. 18, but will now rearrange their travel plans to face SDSU on Feb. 19. Both have 1 p.m. PT start times and will air live on CBS Sports Network.

In all, SDSU will have every conference game available to a national audience with a league-leading 11 games appearing on CBS Sports Network. The remaining seven will appear on the ESPN family of networks.

SDSU enters 2016-17 having won an average of 26 games the last 11 seasons, all of which have ended in postseason tournament appearances. The Aztecs, who have won a Mountain West-high 10 conference titles and returns three starters, will enter the upcoming campaign as the three-time defending regular-season champions. In the last three years alone, SDSU has averaged 28.7 victories, including a 28-win effort in 2015-16.
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