By Edward Lewis, Sports Editor

Steve Fisher has shared part of the Aztec Athletics Center with four football head coaches in his 12-year tenure as head coach of San Diego State’s men’s basketball team.  He’s seen SDSU football lose a lot of games.

So, like most Aztec fans, he was happy to see Brady Hoke, who has finally brought SDSU to a bowl game for the first time since 1998, sign a contract extension through 2015.

“I’d like to start by saying how excited we are on our end of the hall that Brady Hoke has signed the new contract and will be with us for awhile,” Fisher said at yesterday’s weekly press conference. “It’s great news for all of San Diego State, in particular the athletic department. We’re tremendously excited for Brady and the football team.”

Fisher went on to say that when SDSU’s football team does well, his basketball team gets more recognition.

“Everything is predicated on football,” Fisher said. “Brady Hoke has done a masterful job of changing the face, perception, culture, look and feel of the football program. That permeates everywhere.”

Whether it’s because of Hoke’s success with the football team or because the men’s basketball team is just that good, SDSU is enjoying its highest rankings in the major college basketball polls in school history (No. 14 in the AP Poll; No. 15 in the Coaches Poll). The Aztecs will try to stay unbeaten when they take on Cal at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Berkeley.

When: 7:30 p.m., tonight

Where: Berkeley

Why to watch: The 8-0 Aztecs face a Pac-10 opponent on the road and look to move to 9-0 for the first time in school history.