San Diego’s booziest university looking to up its game

When 19-year-old San Diego State University student Dylan Hernandez died falling out of bed after a night of drinking back in November of 2019, the school promised yet again to deal with its long-running intoxication problem.

SDSU officials blamed the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity for the tragedy.

“I have found Phi Gamma Delta to be in violation of Aiding and Abetting, Alcohol, Hazing or Conspiracy to Haze, Health and Safety, Illegal Drugs, and Violations of the Student Organization Conduct Procedures policies,” declared SDSU director of student affairs Caryl Montero-Adams in a ruling issued August 13, 2020.

“Phi Gamma Delta fraternity is sanctioned to Expulsion and is not eligible to participate in the Interfraternity Council’s expansion selection process until August 2030.”

But the public shaming of one frat house has not eliminated SDSU’s long famous reputation for partying drunk, as noted by the Union-Tribune in a November 2020 expose that reviewed university documents retrieved under the state’s public records act.

“The records describe raucous parties — some attended by hundreds of people — where kegs of beer, hard alcohol and drugs were on hand.

“They cite at least 18 instances of students being taken to hospitals after drinking too much or suffering some sort of injury, as well as descriptions of serious property damage, including one frat house that was later deemed ‘unlivable.’”

The drunken debauchery continued the next year, when in August 2021, College Area neighbors complained that partiers were virtually rioting in the streets.

“Hearing from school leadership that this was perhaps the worst night that they’d seen in 15- to 18-year careers, that’s definitely concerning to me,” District 9 city councilman Sean Elo-Rivera wrote in a letter to his irate constituents reported by TV station KNSD.

Now comes the board of trustees of the California State University system, SDSU’s parent, seeking a legislative exemption to state law banning alcohol sponsorships and promotions at the school’s newly christened Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley.

“California law prohibits alcohol beverage suppliers or manufacturers from sponsoring events or other activities at a retail licensed premise,” says a January staff report to the trustees.

“When the new Snapdragon Stadium opens later this year, the stadium will have a retail license allowing a retailer to sell alcoholic beverages to event attendees,” the document explains.

“However, current law prohibits the Stadium from entering into sponsorship agreements without a statutory exemption.”

Failing to mention SDSU’s long-running battle with the bottle, the report says booze merchants’ money is desperately needed to make ends meet at the school’s new athletic palace.

“The ability to appropriately monetize sponsorships at Snapdragon Stadium is an important part of the overall financial success given the construction and operation of the stadium does not benefit from state funding and is financially self-supported.”

“Snapdragon Stadium is a community asset that will host a wide range of concerts and other special events for San Diegans.

“The stadium will serve as a home to a lacrosse team and is actively seeking other professional sports teams.

“The proposal is critical to the sustainability of the stadium as it has the potential to generate approximately $2 million annually and will support the future growth of San Diego State.”

During a January 26 virtual meeting, CSU trustee and ex-city manager Jack McGrory, who ran the campaign that convinced San Diego voters to turn the city-owned property over to SDSU, endorsed the sought-after legislative exemption, saying it would yield “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” His view prevailed without further discussion.