San Diego State football barely receives votes in the polls after heartbreaking loss at New Mexico

Aztecs lose shot at Mountain West title game; await bowl announcement in a week

San Diego State Aztecs tight end Jackson Ford (15). | Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

A heartbreaking double-overtime loss at New Mexico knocked the San Diego State Aztecs out of contention for the Mountain West championship game, but surprisingly, it didn’t knock them all the way out of voting for the two major polls. 

The Aztecs (9-3, 6-2) received one vote in each of the Coaches Poll and The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, leaving them at the very end of the “others receiving votes” portion. 

The Aztecs are all alone with one point at the tail end of the Coaches Poll. They are tied with Washington, and Pittsburgh at the bottom of The Associated Press poll.

UNLV has 33 points and New Mexico 20 in the AP poll, putting them at No. 29 and 30. UNLV has 17 points (No. 31) and New Mexico 2 points (tied for 40th) in the Coaches Poll. 

All the Aztecs had to do to clinch the host spot in the MW title game was beat the Lobos. But they, the Lobos, UNLV and Boise State all finished 6-2 in the league. Based on computer metrics, BSU will host UNLV in the title tilt on Friday afternoon.

Why this matters

The Aztecs have been receiving votes in both polls for several weeks during their bounce-back second season under coach Sean Lewis. They had hoped to win the MW in their final season before jumping to the new-look Pac-12 next year, along with BSU, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State.

What’s next

The Aztecs will now wait to hear their name called when bowl matchups are announced next Sunday. While the MW champion earns a shot against a Pac-12 legacy team in the Los Angeles Bowl, the Aztecs are likely headed to the Arizona Bowl, Frisco Bowl, or perhaps some other destination. 

🦾🌴🐺🪜 pic.twitter.com/sr5ZxPZfv4

— 🔴 Sean Lewis ⚫️ (@TheHC_CoachLew) November 30, 2025

The Aztecs can at least end the season with at least 10 wins for the first time since 2021, when they won a school-record 12 games in going 12-2.

Poll history

The Aztecs were last ranked in the AP Top 25 in 2021, when they were in the AP Top 25 for a total of seven weeks. Their highest ranking was No. 19 and they were No. 25 in the final poll. They finished that season with a school-best 12-2 record.

Before 2021, the Aztecs were ranked for stretches during the 2016, 2017 and 2019 seasons.