San Diego State (SDSU) hosted early March Madness games, which generates revenue for the university and local businesses, and increases national exposure for the school and its brand. The university expects to bring in over $200,000 from hosting the event, which also includes additional revenue from concessions and parking. The NCAA pays schools an "honorarium" as a financial thank-you for hosting, but typically keeps the money from ticket sales. SDSU typically makes money through NCAA payouts based on the number of teams making the tournament. The Aztecs' absence from the tournament meant lost revenue for their conference, but they wouldn't have seen this since they moved to the Pac-12.