It might sound like a headline from the 1900s, but yes, in the year 2026, a college football team is dealing with an outbreak of the mumps. San Diego State opens Pac-12 play against Texas State at home on Saturday, as the Aztec has been dealing with an outbreak of the mumps that has spread throughout the team.
For the last three weeks, SDSU has lost several starters as a result, and the Aztecs have lost the last three straight to UCLA, James Madison and Toledo.
Here's the latest on the outbreak, and what it could mean for the Aztecs against Texas State.
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San Diego State mumps outbreak
The Aztecs have been dealing with the outbreak for several weeks. According to various reports, the exact numbers vary. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Friday that 10 starters will be out for the Texas State:
Update: San Diego State is dealing with a mumps outbreak for the third consecutive week and project to be down 10 opening day starters against Texas State from both mumps and conventional injuries, per ESPN sources. This is the third week that the combination of the mumps… pic.twitter.com/IBkfUhvq5Q
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 2, 2026According to CBS Sports, the outbreak has reached more than a dozen players.
On SDSU's Pac-12 player availability report, a whopping 33 players are included, including 11 listed as "out." Some of the biggest names include backup quarterback Stone Saunders, the team's second leading rusher in running back Lucky Sutton, as well as tight ends Jack Ellis and Parker Guiltinan.
On Sept. 18, SDSU released a statement that confirmed three cases among "a student athletic team." The San Diego Union-Tribune later confirmed that the team was the football program. SDSU head coach was not able to confirm which players were infected due to privacy laws, but his team has also been dealing with some injuries.
"The football gods have not really favored us with the injury luck," San Lewis said on Wednesday. "Guys have got to be ready to step into the light when the time comes. ... We've been given a nice storm here. But this too shall pass, and we've got to be able to see our way through it."
According to an email obtained by ESPN sent from SDSU's medical director of Student Health Services, Dr. T. Ghosh, read that "because mumps symptoms can develop 12 to 25 days after exposure, these new cases reflect spread within the team and potential exposure to additional close contacts. The university continues to take a number of daily actions."
SDSU will kick off on Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. ET, so there could be more players out for the Aztecs before then.
The school is also offering students a free MMR booster.
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What is the mumps?
Mumps is a highly contagious, viral disease that is caused by the mumps virus. The disease is highly preventable by the MMR vaccine, which was developed in 1967. According to the CDC, common symptoms include painful swelling of the jaw, fever, tiredness, appetite loss, and headache.
The disease can also cause puffy cheeks and a tender, swollen jaw. Among the most serious of side effects is inflammation of the brain. The disease spreads among groups who are in close contact with each other.
It can spread by coughing, sneezing, or talking, sharing water bottles or performing close-contact activities like sports.
Per the CDC, there were 157 confirmed mumps cases in the United States as of Sept. 10.
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