San Diego County District Five Supervisor Jim Desmond sent a letter to the San Diego State University Athletics Department on Nov. 5, prompting the school to lower ticket prices at SDSU football games at Snapdragon Stadium.
In the letter sent to the University’s Athletic Department, Desmond said, “Seeing thousands of empty seats, despite a winning season and strong fan interest, has been disappointing… the cost of tickets, parking and concessions can easily reach several hundred dollars, making it difficult to attend.”
Desmond, a republican supervisor for District Five in San Diego County, is an SDSU alumnus graduating in 1985 and now supervises the northern region of San Diego County. In an interview with Desmond, he said, “It’s kind of saddening to hear how much the ticket prices were, and it’d be great if SD county could go to a game and back the Aztecs.”
The cheapest ticket at SDSU’s next home game against Boise State on Nov. 15 is $62.55 for a seat in the upper deck. A family of four would pay $250 just to have tickets to the game, without factoring in parking or any food or drinks purchased during the game.
“The cost of everything here these days has gone up dramatically, and when I saw what the prices were for a family to come to a game, it’s going to cost them hundreds of dollars,” Desmond said.
The SDSU Athletic Department provided a statement regarding the letter sent by Desmond, saying the following:
“We are San Diego’s football team, and are thrilled by the success we’ve seen this season. We want every seat at Snapdragon Stadium filled and the community united in cheering on our Aztec football team. Our goal is to make game days exciting, welcoming, and an unforgettable experience that brings our San Diego region together. We offer a variety of ways to attract and engage fans, including special promotions, pregame entertainment, and activities like the River Park Block Party, and in-game entertainment, and we are actively exploring and planning to announce more ways we can engage and support our fans and the community.”
Since Desmond’s letter and post on X, the school has released a ticket promotion for the Aztecs’ next home game against Boise State on Nov. 15. The school is offering two tickets for $40.
“I did see that they offered two tickets for $40. I think that might be the best response we’re going to get,” Desmond said.
Ticket prices and attendance struggles at football games have plagued SDSU since the team’s inaugural season at Snapdragon Stadium in 2022, with declining numbers each year. Ticket prices remain too high for San Diego families to cough up the funds to attend a game.
“This is a good football team. They’re 7-1, it’s not like they are 0-7,” Desmond said. “The more people we can get out there, the more fans, the more people behind the Aztecs, I think the better for the team, the school, and the stadium.”
