SDSU TO HOST 2 RIVALS IN FALL

Aztecs open MW play vs. Boise St., to close vs. Fresno St.

San Diego State’s football team will open and close Mountain West Conference play this season with home games against two of its biggest conference rivals — Boise State and Fresno State.

There is added significance from start (Broncos play at Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 22) to finish (the Bulldogs come Nov. 25) in 2023.

The Mountain West will feature one 12-team division rather than two sixteam divisions. The two teams with the best winning percentages will take part in the conference championship game on Dec. 2. The higher-ranked team will host the game.

SDSU’s 12-game schedule, released Thursday, has its share of notables:

SDSU plays seven home games and five road games for the fourth time in five full seasons.

The Aztecs and Boise State meet on a Friday for the second straight season. At this point, it is the only non-Saturday game on SDSU’s schedule. Other games also could be moved to weekdays — typically a Friday afternoon or evening — once the networks determine their broadcast schedules. (Kickoff times and TV broadcast networks will be announced in the coming months). SDSU played two Friday games last season and three in 2021.

The Aztecs’ “Week Zero” game against Ohio combined with a calendar that includes five weekends in September creates an unprecedented situation in which they’ll play half their games before October arrives. SDSU will play four nonconference games — at home against Ohio (Aug. 26), Idaho State (Sept. 2) and UCLA (Sept. 9) and on the road against Oregon State (Sept. 16) — before kicking off conference play against Boise State.

SDSU will have byes on Oct. 7 and Oct. 28.

SDSU’s schedule still includes four of its five West Division opponents: Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada and San Jose State. Missing is UNLV. In addition to Boise State, three other teams from the former Mountain Division are on the schedule — Air Force, Colorado State and Utah State.

The move away from the “Mountain” and “West” divisions was first announced last May. A league statement read, in part, that “the enhanced structure will ensure the top two teams meet in the championship game