San Diego State, BYU reportedly agree to play Dec. 19 in Palm Springs
Credit: MWC
CBS Sports analyst and reporter Jon Rothstein has reported that the San Diego State Aztecs and the BYU Cougars will play a neutral site contest at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs on December, 19, 2026.
Neither school has officially announced the meeting, but this matchup is one that makes sense. Rothstein mentioned multiple sources told him. Brian Dutcher and Kevin Young are renewing the old BYU-SDSU rivalry that fans adore. Every Aztec and Cougar fan remembers the epic battles between Jimmer Fredette and Kawhi Leonard.
This matchup is not technically overdue, but because of the strengths of SDSU’s non-conference slate and BYU’s Big 12 conference slate, San Diego State and BYU have not played the last two seasons. In 2023 in Provo, the Cougars knocked off the Aztecs 74-65 in the last matchup between the two programs. BYU owns the all-time advantage 51-27, according to BYU records.
Lots of Aztecs fans will travel for this contest. Palm Springs is no more than three hours away from San Diego, and the fans are going to be joyful, being able to watch this team not far from home.
This will be the second non-conference game announced for the Aztecs, as they are going to play UNLV for a home-and-home series the next two seasons. The first will be on The Mesa in 2026-27, and the second game will be in Las Vegas in 2027-28.
Stay tuned for more information on this matchup, including whether it will be a part of a showcase or classic that are becoming more and more popular during non-conference play.
Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.