San Diego State will return to its old home on Nov. 7 when the Aztecs play in the inaugural National University Bill Walton Classic at Pechanga Arena. The opponent has not yet been announced, but the event was unveiled Wednesday morning at Helix High School, Bill Walton’s alma mater.
Brian Dutcher sounded amused and a little uneasy about the unknown matchup. “A little concerned about an opponent to be named later,” he said, though he added, “But I know we’re going to play a good team in the city of San Diego and we’re honoring Bill Walton. It’s a great event.”
The game carries more than nostalgia. Both teams are believed to receive a six-figure payday, and the event will also benefit the Bill Walton Foundation and Sports San Diego. It comes as San Diego State continues to lean into nonconference games that draw attention, after playing a neutral-site game in Phoenix against Arizona last December. Dutcher said, “At the end of the day, people are looking for good games.”
The setting also matters because it takes SDSU back to a building that once served as its home. Before Viejas Arena opened, the Aztecs played home games at the San Diego Sports Arena in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The classic is meant to honor Walton, who was a three-time national player of the year at UCLA under John Wooden in the early 1970s, making the Bruins an obvious possible opponent.
That option is not available. UCLA is already scheduled for the four-team Rady Children’s Invitational at USD over Thanksgiving, and multiple sources told the Union-Tribune that TCU had originally expressed interest in the Nov. 7 game before withdrawing. Dutcher said, “It’s like us. We played a neutral game (last December) in Phoenix against Arizona. It didn’t feel very neutral, but we did it.” He also said, “Not everybody’s ducking us. Somebody will play us in the event. I know they will.”
Sports San Diego CEO Mark Neville was more confident about the final pairing. “It’s going to be an opponent that everyone is going to be happy with,” he said. “I’m talking with several schools right now, power (conferences) for the most part. We’ll have a good opponent.” The doubleheader will open with a game between the UCSD and USD women’s teams, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, ranging from $60 to $160. The cheapest seat initially cost $92.51 with fees before being adjusted to just under $80. More information is available at billwaltonclassic.com.
