San Diego State Aztecs Return to Bowl Season, to Face North Texas in New Mexico Bowl
San Diego State University football is heading back to the postseason, accepting an invitation to the Isleta New Mexico Bowl on December 27th, where they will face the No. 25 North Texas Mean Green. This marks the Aztecs’ first bowl appearance since 2022 and a significant turnaround for the program.
A Remarkable Season for the Aztecs
The San Diego State Aztecs (9-3, 6-2) concluded the 2025 regular season with a record-tying turnaround, equaling the best single-season improvement in program history dating back to 1921. Despite finishing in a four-way tie for first place in the Mountain West Conference, a computerized rankings tie-breaker prevented their advancement to the championship game. This bowl bid represents the 13th postseason appearance for SDSU in the last 16 years, and their 21st overall, with this being their second trip to the New Mexico Bowl. In their previous appearance in 2019, the Aztecs dominated Central Michigan with a 48-11 victory in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
North Texas Brings High-Powered Offense to Albuquerque
The North Texas Mean Green (11-2, 7-1) enter the bowl game after a narrow 34-21 loss to Tulane in the American Athletic Conference championship game, a team that qualified for the College Football Playoff. Their only other regular season defeat came against South Florida on October 10th. The Mean Green boast a potent offense, averaging 44.8 points per game while allowing just 24.9. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker leads the nation with an impressive 4,129 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions.
North Texas currently leads the country in total offense, averaging 504.3 yards per game, and possesses the No. 2 ranked passing attack at 323.2 yards per game.
Defensive Prowess on Display for SDSU
Anchored by Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year Chris Johnson, the San Diego State defense has been a cornerstone of their success. The Aztecs allowed the fifth-fewest points per game nationally (12.6) and limited opponents to just 157.0 passing yards per game – the sixth-lowest total in the country. This defensive strength will be crucial against the high-flying North Texas offense.
Familiar Foe, Historical Advantage
The Aztecs and Mean Green share one common opponent this season: Washington State. SDSU fell to the Cougars 36-13 on September 6th, while North Texas routed Washington State 59-10 the following week on September 13th in Denton, Texas. This will be the eighth all-time meeting between the two programs, with San Diego State holding a commanding 6-1 advantage in the series, though the teams haven’t faced each other since 1975.
Game Details and Ticket Information
The Isleta New Mexico Bowl is scheduled to kickoff at 2:45 p.m. PT on December 27th at University Stadium. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and can also be heard on San Diego Sports 760 AM. The SDSU Department of Athletics will release ticket information in the coming days.
This story was updated at 12:40 p.m. on December 5, 2025.