In the afterglow of San Diego State’s big 45-24 win against Colorado State in a Mountain West opener, fans are starting to look closely to see if the Aztecs will get any mention in the national polls.
The Aztecs didn’t get any votes in the polls on Sunday, and based on history, it probably won’t happen unless the Aztecs go on an impressive winning streak.
But that’s not going to keep fans from pumping up their ‘Tecs, who improved to 4-1, their best record after five games since going 5-0 in 2022 … which happened to be the last time they were ranked in The Associated Press Top 25.
A quick check of X shows posts from SDSU such as “Top 25 loadinggg” and one that pointed out that SDSU has more wins than Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Clemson.
While that’s all well and good, those are Power 4 teams while SDSU and the rest of the Mountain West are in the Group of Five. It often takes more for schools like SDSU to impress poll voters, and Texas and Penn State paid the price for losses to unranked teams on Saturday by falling all the way out of the AP poll — a big deal considering that the Longhorns and Nittany Lions were 1-2 in the preseason poll.
Oct 3, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs wide receiver Mikey Welsh (14) celebrates a first down during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs at Snapdragon Stadium. / David Frerker-Imagn Images
One fan projected a more reasonable goal for the Aztecs — they’re just two wins shy of becoming bowl eligible.
For years, Boise State has been the standard-bearer for the MW nationally. The Broncos were ranked No. 25 in the AP preseason poll before losing 34-7 at South Florida in the season-opener and falling out of the rankings. They haven’t received a vote since, and lost 28-7 at Notre Dame on Saturday to fall to 3-2.
Oct 4, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Boubacar Traore (5) takes down Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) as he throws a pass during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. / Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
However, undefeated UNLV (5-0, 1-0) has been receiving votes for four weeks now, and on Sunday had 19 points in the AP poll, which would make it a distant No. 32. UNLV received 21 points in the coaches’ poll.
The Runnin’ Rebels beat Idaho State of the Big Sky Conference in their opener, and then reeled off wins against Sam Houston, UCLA (which stunned Penn State on Saturday), Miami of Ohio and then Wyoming in an MW opener.
By comparison, SDSU routed FCS Stony Brook 42-0 in the opener before faltering in a 36-13 loss at future Pac-12 foe Washington State. The Tecs rebounded by shocking previously undefeated Cal 34-0 at home — the signature win so far under Sean Lewis — eking out a 6-3 win at Northern Illinois and then putting on an offensive showcase (540 total yards) in a 45-24 home win against Colorado State.
The Aztecs’ toughest remaining opponents are at Fresno State in two weeks, and then consecutive home games against Boise State (Nov. 15) and San Jose State (Nov. 22).
Oct 4, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) looks to pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. / Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
They can’t trip up on opponents like Nevada, where they play on Saturday.
The Aztecs miss UNLV this season.
The Aztecs were ranked in the AP Top 25 for four weeks in October 2021, when they played at an MLS pitch in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson while Snapdragon Stadium was being built. Their marquee player was Matt Araiza, whose booming punts that would routinely flip the field earned him the nickname “Punt God,” and they would finish with a school-best 12-2 record.
The Aztecs got into the Top 25 on the strength of consecutive wins against then-Pac-12 members Arizona and Utah (in three overtimes). A 10-point “home” loss to Fresno State knocked them out for two weeks, before they climbed back in for three more weeks. During that stretch, they beat BSU in Carson to climb to No. 22, matching their highest ranking that season.
After a blowout loss to Utah State in the MW Championship Game and a win over UTSA in the Frisco Bowl, the Aztecs finished No. 25 in the final poll.
Before 2021, the Aztecs were ranked for stretches during the 2016, 2017 and 2019 seasons.
Typically, it’s hard for schools like SDSU to get into the Top 25, and one loss can knock them out for good.
Their best way to attract the attention of voters is simply to keep winning under Lewis, and it doesn’t hurt to toss in some eye-popping performances.
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