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We will get to see San Diego State basketball on FSSD next season. Even if you're not an Aztec alum like me and a bunch of your fellow Gaslamp Ballers, you should nevertheless be pleased with this for the following reasons:
First, Aztecs basketball has arguably been the hottest sports ticket in San Diego going back a few years now. Yes, I'm saying Aztec basketball is in front of the Chargers (who can't seem to sell out a game without outside help) and the Padres (who've had certain issues that we've all been aware of).
In relation to that, for FSSD to truly be a proper full-service regional sports network in San Diego, getting two of the big three sports in San Diego would seem to be a prerequisite. While I'm sure there are people who love getting their fill of Los Angeles sports, the local San Diego sporting event stuff has been lacking. Since the Chargers are obviously part of the NFL and they have their own deals going, having Padres baseball and Aztec basketball is key for FSSD to be taken seriously and not as some secondary network that FSN has for completion's sake.
With Aztec basketball in their pockets, it becomes much more compelling for Time Warner Cable to carry FSSD to prove that they are servicing sports fans in San Diego. Any internal logic at TWC that says, "we'll only carry FSSD when there's demand for the broadcasting" will have to be shaken at the prospect of not being able to broadcast Aztecs basketball. The number of people complaining and requesting the channel will no longer be limited to faithful Padres fans and Chivas supporters, but SDSU students and alum.
There are a lot of SDSU students and alum.
This is also a big move because TWC's new Time Warner Cable SportsNet channel had secured the rights to SDSU sports for the 2012-2013 season, but all signs are pointing to Fox having the deal for a while after that. Having competition in the regional sports network landscape is great, but developing a must-have product has many benefits as well.
With the Padres making the case for a post season run in 2013 and the Aztec basketball program making the case for being considered among the elite basketball programs in the country, it's only a matter of time before TWC cracks and we get the Padres available throughout San Diego.
Right?
...
right?