SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – San Diego State University’s men’s basketball team will join forces with federal and local officials Sunday to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl through a three-on-three basketball tournament aimed at reaching college students and young adults.
The event — co-hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office and the non-profit MESA Foundation — will take place Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Aztec Recreation Center on SDSU’s campus.
SDSU men’s basketball players will serve as referees, while members of the university’s Greek Life system will compete on the court. The tournament will feature educational booths offering resources about fentanyl, overdose prevention, and the use of naloxone, a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses.
“This tournament is about more than basketball – it’s about educating young people on the dangers of fentanyl and how to respond in the case of an overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We are proud to partner with SDSU, the City Attorney’s Office, and the MESA Foundation to reach students with these terrific SDSU basketball ambassadors.”
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is available as a nasal spray or auto-injector. In California, it can be obtained from pharmacies without a prescription or for free from community-based organizations and public health departments. More information is available at suopt.org.
The effort is part of an ongoing campaign by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office to confront the fentanyl epidemic through both enforcement and education. Officials say the synthetic opioid continues to pose an urgent threat, especially on college campuses.
“Fentanyl has taken too many lives, and prevention starts with awareness,” said San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert. “By partnering with SDSU, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the MESA Foundation, we’re reaching students directly with life-saving information and resources.”
This marks the third collaboration between SDSU athletics and law enforcement to promote fentanyl prevention. In 2024, the SDSU women’s soccer team participated in a social media awareness campaign, and in 2023, the men’s basketball team was featured in the first-ever collaboration of its kind between collegiate athletes and federal prosecutors.
MESA is the official partner of San Diego State Athletics. Through this partnership, MESA connects Aztec basketball student-athletes with community-based organizations, charitable initiatives, and local businesses across San Diego. More information about the MESA Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, can be found here https://www.mesa-aztecs.org/ [protect2.fireeye.com]
