SAN DIEGO >> For the University of Hawaii football team, this is a road trip to a parallel universe.

After arriving on Thursday ahead of today’s game against San Diego State, the Rainbow Warriors went to Snapdragon Stadium for an “activation” session of stretching and adjusting to the grass surface.

The outing was a view to a what-should-have-been scenario for the Warriors. Snapdragon broke ground on the SDSU campus during the COVID-19 pandemic — Aug. 17, 2020 — and was completed in time for the start of the 2022 football season. The stadium has a Bermuda-grass field as part of an arrangement to share the facility with pro soccer teams.

In contrast, Aloha Stadium — the Warriors’ home venue for four decades — was shuttered for fan-attended events in December 2020 because of structural concerns. A replacement stadium at the Halawa site is expected to be ready for the 2028 season, although a deal with the lone offeror has yet to be finalized. In the meantime, the Warriors are “temporarily” holding their home games and all their practices on the AstroTurf at the Ching Complex. The Warriors lost use of their grass practice field because of the construction of a soccer and track-and-field complex in an area adjacent to Ching.

The SDSU and UH football programs are on different paths. SDSU gave notice that it is leaving the Mountain West, which it helped form when it broke away from the Western Athletic Conference in 1999, to join the Pac-12 in 2026.

The Warriors, who joined the MW as a football-only member in 2012, have committed to remain in the conference through the 2031-32 academic year. But UH athletic director Craig Angelos said there are discussions to move most of UH’s non-football programs, most of whom compete in the Big West, into the Mountain West. Angelos said talks are amicable. He said while the Mountain West favors UH being an all-sports member, there is no pressure to make the move. UH president David Lassner is expected to consult with coaches, government leaders and regents.

For today, the Warriors are focused on containing the Aztecs’ no-huddle spread offense, finding holes in their 4-2-5 defense, and earning the second road victory in Timmy Chang’s three seasons as head coach. On last year’s Colorado staff, UH defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman was a defensive analyst and San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis was the Buffaloes’ offensive coordinator.

“I wasn’t going against him (in practice), I was an analyst,” Thurman said. “But he’s got a nice system. He runs it, and it’s pretty quick. He believes in it. And he gets his players to believe in it. They buy in. It’s going to be a challenge for us.”

SDSU running back Marquez Cooper, who is the FBS’ active leader in rushing yards, and freshman quarterback Danny O’Neil, who has not been intercepted in 80 passes, are the keys to the Aztecs’ offense.

“I think it’s another good test for our defense,” UH defensive tackle Ezra Evaimalo said. “Every week is a test for us. For D-tackles, any time we have a heavy-run team, it’s a week for us to put our head down and grind.”

The Warriors are 1-12 in road games under Chang. “We definitely know our record’s not great on the road,” quarterback Brayden Schager said. “We have to go in there and try our best to try to get a win. And take everything to the field and bring some energy and start fast.”

During Friday’s 90-minute session, Cathedral Catholic High had a Hawaii feel. Pictures of the Warriors ran on a loop on the scoreboard while the team practiced. The Hawaii and H flags hung on a pole.