MAINE, USA — You couldn't get further east from San Diego than Maine without leaving the country.
Most of everything is different between the two, from food to geography. Even San Diego County itself has a larger population than Maine year-round.
But one thing that's in common could be the loyal fan base for San Diego State Sports.
NEWS CENTER Maine's Jack Molmud, a San Diego State alum himself, thought he couldn't be the only SDSU basketball fan rooting the Men's team on to its first Final Four in school history.
From a Reddit post, several people replied that while Maine is about as far from San Diego as you can get without leaving the country, fans do exist.
Eric Harris of Lewiston called San Diego his hometown after bouncing between cities while his dad was in the Navy.
"I thought maybe I was still sleeping," Harris said when asked what he thought of Molmud's Reddit post. "Who from Maine really cares about San Diego State?"
Harris said when he was a young adult he was recruited by San Diego State's football program. His cousin, Aaron Douglass, was a walk-on for SDSU Men's Basketball.
Harris said he met his fiancé in Memphis, and they decided to raise their child in Maine.
For Harris, SDSU reaching the Final Four is huge for the school's underdog mentality.
"I love it, man. Everyone back home is blowing me up and talking about it," Harris said. "San Diego State, I feel, is the underdog of California."
Harris said growing up playing sports in the region, everyone wanted to play for University of Southern California or for UC Los Angeles.
"I think the city of San Diego has been through a lot in the last five or 10 years, so to have something the city can rally around and come together for, nothing brings a city together like sports," Harris said.
But Harris is not the most northeastern fan.
Matthew and Manuel Martinez met and became engaged in San Diego. Manuel spent nine years at SDSU for three degrees.
The two now live in Fort Kent after Matthew discovered the nursing program at UMaine Fort Kent. Matthew is originally from Boothbay Harbor but moved to San Diego to train for the Olympics.
"San Diego State has played great games this whole tournament, and they just stay calm," Matthew said.
Manuel agreed that San Diego State has an underdog mentality heading into the Final Four.
"I've always had to fight that SDSU is great and that it is a good school because it was undermined a lot," Manuel said.
San Diego State tips off with Florida Atlantic University at 6:09 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. The winner plays in the NCAA championship game.