San Diego State has built enviable home-court hoops advantage

One of the most unusual images of last season was Air Force men’s basketball coach Jeff Reynolds going into San Diego State’s student section after a hard-fought game.

That’s usually not a good situation, but Reynolds didn’t want to start trouble. The Viejas Arena fans never got out of line, maintained great energy, and Reynolds wanted to congratulate them, and praise them for the effort.

You won’t see that too often in college basketball.

“Without a doubt, their students marvel me,” Reynolds said. “Last year I told them after the game, I think they’re the best in college basketball. I’d like to put them all on a plane or bus and ship them here to the academy. They’re creative and energetic, take a lot of pride in what they do, and they do it the right way. I don’t think they go overboard or get out of line. It’s great to see. It’s what college basketball is all about.”

San Diego State doesn’t have the history of great crowds like UNLV or New Mexico, but it has quickly gained an imposing home-court edge. When Air Force plays at San Diego State on Saturday night, it will be the sixth sellout of the season, and the Aztecs anticipate sellouts for every remaining home game. San Diego State has won 42 of its past 45 home games.  

“Other than BYU, which isn’t in the league anymore, I felt it was the most hostile environment in the league,” Air Force center Taylor Broekhuis said. “I wasn’t surprised they had a big crowd. I was surprised how loud it was in there.”

San Diego State quickly built a great atmosphere with an obvious first step: winning. The Aztecs went 34-3 last year and were ranked in the top 10. But it was more than just fielding a good team and watching fans pile into seats. The administration and coach Steve Fisher helped rally the students, and encouraged them to have fun. A group of student leaders has maintained the traditions and chants for the raucous student section known as “The Show.”

“'The Show’ took on a mind of its own,” San Diego State associate athletic director Steve Schnall said. “If we directed it, it wouldn’t be as good as students directing other students.”

The Falcons want to turn Clune Arena into a great atmosphere again. The Falcons had that edge in the intimate arena last decade, when the team was competing for NCAA Tournament berths, but crowds dwindled over losing seasons. A crowd of 1,938 for Wednesday’s game against Wyoming was disappointing considering the Falcons won their first conference game, even though Air Force rarely draws well on weekdays and it was an early start.

Reynolds said he liked the support from the cadets Wednesday, especially the football players who have been vocal the past few games. He knows that to keep building crowds Air Force has to follow San Diego State’s first ingredient, which is to win.

“We have to put our product out there, and as the program keeps growing, the community and student body will come out,” said Reynolds, whose team is 11-5. “It would be a huge advantage.”

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