San Diego State to face Michigan, Oregon in Players Era Festival

CBS Sports releases schedule for Thanksgiving week tourney in Las Vegas

Nov 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Diego State Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher talks during a presser after the Aztecs were defeated by the Oregon Ducks 78-68 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

San Diego State basketball fans got a nice surprise when the University of Michigan athletics website posted a press release announcing that the Wolverines will open the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas by playing the Aztecs on Nov. 24.

The press release was later deleted, but Google Alerts are forever, and CBS Sports has confirmed that intriguing matchup as well as SDSU’s second game, on Nov. 25, against defending Players Era Festival champion Oregon. 

The Aztecs will play a third game on either Nov. 26 or 27, with their opponent to be determined by various results from the first two days.

They will be strong early-season tests for the Aztecs, who have already been buoyed by the announcements that guard Miles Byrd and 7-footer Magoon Gwath are returning to Montezuma Mesa for another season.

San Diego State hoops will forever be linked to Michigan. Steve Fisher was promoted to Michigan’s interim coach just before the 1989 NCAA Tournament after Bill Frieder announced he was taking the Arizona State job. With Brian Dutcher at his side, Fisher led the Wolverines to the national title and had the interim tag removed. 

Dec 17, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; San Diego State Aztecs head coach Steve Fisher reacts against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Dutcher helped recruit the Fab Five, who took Michigan to the national championship games in 1992 and 1993 before losing. Those appearances were later vacated because Chris Webber accepted money from prominent booster Ed Martin.

Fisher was fired just before the 1997-98 season due to his involvement in the Martin scandal. 

Fisher was hired at San Diego State prior to the 1999-2000 season and brought Dutcher with him. They transformed a perennial loser into a perennial NCAA Tournament team that was often ranked in The Associated Press Top 25. Dutcher was named “head coach in waiting” in 2011 and took over when Fisher retired after the 2016-17 season.

The Aztecs and Wolverines have met just once before. Michigan won 72-58 at Ann Arbor on Dec. 4, 2021, when Fab Five member Juwan Howard was the Wolverines’ head coach. 

Dutcher led the Aztecs to their only Final Four in 2022, when they reached the national title game before losing to UConn.

The Players Era Festival is increasing from eight teams to 18 this year. Each team is guaranteed $1 million, with the champion to receive another $1 million.

Teams that go 2-0 on Monday and Tuesday will move into the championship round on Nov. 26, with point differential, total points scored and points allowed serving as tiebreakers. 

Oregon beat SDSU 78-68 in last year’s Players Era Festival. 

Nov 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Diego State Aztecs forward Magoon Gwath (0) blocks a shot attempt by Oregon Ducks guard Jackson Shelstad (3) during the first half at MGM Grand Garden Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

San Diego State’s only other known game is against Arizona in Phoenix on Dec. 20.

The Aztecs appear primed for another big run under Dutcher, who took SDSU to its only national championship game appearance, in 2022. They’re looking to go further in the NCAA than they did last season, when they lost 95-68 to North Carolina in a First Four game.