San Diego State's student section ranked among best in college basketball

The Show has long made Viejas Arena one of the toughest places to play

Mar 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs fans chant before the game against the Boise State Broncos at Viejas Arena. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The San Diego State Aztecs haven't lost many games in the Brian Dutcher era, regardless of where they are playing.

Dutcher's 74.4% win rate dating back to 2017 is among the best in college basketball, and this program's tough, physical defensive style and efficient offense make it a nightmare matchup for opponents.

That is even more true when the Aztecs are at home at Viejas Arena, home to one of the best student sections in college basketball: The Show.

National analyst Andy Katz included The Show among his list of the top ten student sections in college basketball. The Show came in at No. 10 on the list, one spot behind the Kennel Club, the student section for future Pac-12 foe Gonzaga and their home at the Kennel. The rest of the top ten included student sections at Duke, Purdue, Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Illinois, Arizona, and Iowa State.

Gonzaga and San Diego State wrapped up a home-and-home series last year, with the programs splitting the series but, somewhat surprisingly, each winning on the road.

San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher at the McCarthey Athletic Center during the Aztecs' matchup with Gonzaga. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

SDSU also lost at home to Utah State and UNLV last season in a rare off-year for the Aztecs at Viejas. In fact, the three home losses in 2024-25 are the same number of home losses San Diego State had in the three previous seasons combined — a true testament to the difficult nature of winning when The Show is in town.

The Show has been around since 2001, encompassing roughly 2,500 seats across four sections behind the basket and near the visiting team's bench. The name comes from a comment on an SDSU message board: "You guys think you're the whole show."

The Show is also credited with starting the fad of "big heads" being held up in the crowd, which was inspired by the 1998 movie BASEketball as well as ESPN's PTI studio. Michael Jackson was the first big head poster held up at a game, with other notable celebrity big heads including Gene Simmons, Conan O'Brien, Richard Simmons, Chuck Norris, and Chris Farley.

Notable home wins for San Diego State in the past decade include UCLA, Gonzaga, BYU, Washington, Stanford, Arizona State, and Utah.

San Diego State's biggest home game in the non-conference is an exhibition against Big Ten opponent UCLA on Oct. 17. Other non-con home games include Long Beach State, Idaho State, Troy, Utah Valley, Lamar, and non-D1 opponent Whittier.