SDSU Men’s Basketball Team to Host Fentanyl Awareness/Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament with U.S. Attorney’s Office and City Attorney’s Office

SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, San Diego City Attorney’s Office and the non-profit MESA (Mentoring and Empowering Student Athletes) Foundation will host a three-on-three basketball tournament featuring San Diego State University Men’s Basketball student athletes as referees and members of the SDSU Greek System as participants to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.

Media is invited to cover the tournament, to be held on September 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Aztec Recreation Center on the SDSU campus (5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182) will highlight the urgent threat fentanyl poses to the community, particularly to college students and young adults. The tournament will feature educational booths with information on fentanyl awareness, prevention and resources on how to obtain free naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan.

Naloxone is an opioid overdose reversal medication, available either as a nasal spray or an injector. In California, naloxone can be purchased from a pharmacist without a prescription. It is also possible to get naloxone from community-based distribution programs, local public health groups, or local health departments at no cost. For more information about naloxone and how to get training on using it, visit: Naloxone Information.

This is the third time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office have teamed up to feature SDSU student athletes in partnership with an SDSU NIL organization. In 2024, the SDSU Women’s Soccer Team participated in a social media campaign to spread fentanyl awareness, and in 2023 the SDSU men’s basketball team participated in the first-ever social media campaign between law enforcement and collegiate athletics to promote fentanyl prevention.

“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”.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have attacked the fentanyl crisis through aggressive prosecutions at every level of the supply chain – from cartel leadership to cross-border trafficking organizations, to money launderers, to street level dealers who are selling drugs that result in overdose deaths.

“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. Our goal is to empower young people to make safe choices and help keep our campuses and communities healthy.”

MESA is the official partner of San Diego State Athletics dedicated to the advancement of Aztec Basketball and community outreach. 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/

For further information, please contact Logan Manning, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (619) 546-7344, or Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/Deputy City Attorney Mark Robertson at (619) 533-5500.

Press officials are permitted to film the participants in the tournament only.   

       Press please RSVP to logan.manning@usdoj.gov