Written by: Amanda Angulo
Many were shocked to see two college football teams leave the Big 12 Conference a few months ago. The Big 12 is one of the most prominent conferences in collegiate sports and is also a part of the Power Five in football. The power five is composed of the top five football conferences and is considered to have the most elite teams in the nation.
This means that one of the top conferences in the nation has two spots available for schools to fill in. Rumors have been beginning to speculate that San Diego State would be a school worthwhile to consider. Speculation has brewed since San Diego no longer has the Chargers and is desperate for another sports team.
Pessimists claim that the SDSU football team would not succeed playing at an elite level and with other elite teams. They also claim that while San Diego is one of the largest cities in the nation, SDSU and college football won’t attract anyone to the stands.
However, that is far from the truth. While the SDSU name is not on people’s minds when thinking of the West Coast, like UCLA and Stanford, it does not mean that the fans are not there. Hundreds of thousands of alumni, active students, and fans constantly go to the games and show their support. Additionally, the state school is also rebuilding the stadium in Mission Valley, as well as 80 acres around the stadium. Surrounding the stadium will be hotels, shopping, dorms, and residences, meaning that they will be creating a football stadium community.
Currently, SDSU remains in the Mountain West Conference, which is unfortunately not a part of the Power Five group of conferences. A move to the Big 12 could put us on the map and eventually improve the economy in the city.
However, there is one major obstacle: Adela de la Torre.
De la Torre is San Diego State’s President, the same one who was booed while she was giving her speech at the Commencement in Petco Park. Why was she booed? Following all her terrible decisions on campus, she has caused nearly every student to hate her to the very core for infringing on student’s rights and personal lives.
She has prevented much of SDSU’s social life due to her personal sentiment on party schools and no longer wishes for the college to be associated as such. Not only that, but now she suddenly no longer wants the school associated with “jocks.” As a result of how she feels, she does not wish for SDSU to be a part of the Big 12…
Therefore, in Adela’s eyes, allowing SDSU to join the Big 12 would be a “mistake” and possibly attract more jocks. While she is busy focusing on her agenda, she fails to consider the benefits of the move, such as income and civic engagement. It is also quite shocking to think that as SDSU spends billions of dollars on their new football stadium, they would simultaneously decline to join a conference that would give that stadium life.
Image from: San Diego State University’s Hepner Hall
