Araiza one of three former players accused of sexually assaulting a then 17-year-old girl at a 2021 party

Former star Aztec football punter Matt Araiza has filed a claim against San Diego State University, alleging that someone tied to the school made statements that damaged his reputation.

The university has returned the claim, citing reasons including insufficient evidence.

Araiza is one of three former Aztec players accused of sexually assaulting a then 17-year-old girl at an October 2021 house party near the campus. All three accused men deny the allegations and say any contact with the teen was consensual. Araiza was 21 years old at the time.

The District Attorney’s Office announced in December it would not file criminal charges, and told the woman, who had since turned 18, that they could not prove anyone knew she was underage or could have been too intoxicated to give consent.

According to an audio recording of that conversation obtained by the Union-Tribune and other media, the prosecutor told the woman that after viewing short video clips of the woman engaged in sex acts on the night in question, her office “absolutely” could not prove that any forcible sexual assault occurred.

Araiza, who’d been seen leaving the party, was not in any of the videos.

The woman is suing the three former players in civil court.

Through his agent, Araiza issued a statement this week that he is “aware that the facts of this case have been made public.”

“I am deeply gratified for the...

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