When the new look Pac-12 was searching for additions, Fresno State was not the biggest brand available. The Bulldogs do not have the largest athletic budget, the highest coaching salaries, or the national recognition of some former Power Conference programs.

However, similar to WSU, Fresno State brings something extremely valuable to the conference: a proven ability to maximize resources.

The Bulldogs have built a successful athletic department through strong fan support, a strong regional footprint, competitive programs across multiple sports, and a history of outperforming expectations.
As Fresno State prepares to enter the Pac-12, here is how the Bulldogs fit into the new look Pac-12.

Coaches’ Salaries
Fresno State enters the Pac-12 near the bottom of the conference when it comes to head coaching salaries. Head football coach Matt Entz will be the league’s lowest paid football coach in 2026, earning $1.35 million. On the hardwood, men’s basketball head coach Vance Walberg ranks eighth among the conference’s nine head coaches, ahead of only Texas State’s Terrence Johnson.

That makes coaching retention one of the most important long-term storylines to watch in Fresno. If Entz or Walberg find sustained success, they’ll almost certainly attract interest from programs with larger athletic budgets and the ability to offer significantly higher salaries.

The question then becomes whether Fresno State can keep pace. Will the Bulldogs have the financial resources to retain successful coaches as the demands of the new Pac-12 continue to grow?

For an athletic department that has built its reputation on maximizing limited resources, the answer could go a long way in determining whether Fresno State remains a consistent conference contender or struggles to sustain success in a more financially competitive league.

Stadium Capacity
The Bulldogs play at Valley Children’s Stadium, which seats 40,727 fans, giving Fresno State the second-largest football stadium in the new Pac-12, trailing only Colorado State by a few hundred seats.

Fan support has been a big strength in Fresno. During the 2025 season, the Bulldogs averaged more than 38,000 fans per home game. With the arrival of new conference opponents such as Washington State, Texas State, and Oregon State, and old foes in Boise State and San Diego State, Fresno State could have a real opportunity to sell out all of its home games each season.

A packed Valley Children’s Stadium has long been one of the most difficult road environments in the Mountain West, and there’s little reason to believe that will change in the Pac-12. Fresno State has the potential to become one of the league’s premier home-field advantages and one of the marquee destinations for Pac-12 After Dark.

Social Media Presence
While social media doesn’t tell the full story of an athletic department’s popularity, it does provide a useful snapshot of fan engagement and brand reach. As college athletics become increasingly driven by digital content, a strong social media presence can help with recruiting, fan engagement, and national visibility.

Using the combined follower totals from each program’s X and Instagram accounts, here’s how Fresno State compares to Washington State:
Fresno State Athletics: 145,400 combined followers. WSU Athletics: 134,800 combined followers.

Fresno State FB: 204,400 combined followers. WSU FB: 242,300 combined followers.

Fresno State MBB: 28,100 combined followers. WSU MBB: 56,200 combined followers.

Fresno State WBB: 17,400 combined followers. WSU WBB: 22,000 combined followers.

Athletic Department Success
Football: Since 2012, Fresno State has won four Mountain West Conference championships.

Baseball: Fresno State baseball won a national championship in 2008. Since 2019, Fresno State baseball has won three Mountain West Conference championships.

Women’s basketball: Fresno State women’s basketball won the Mountain West Tournament in 2013 and 2014 and was crowned Mountain West regular-season champion in 2020.

Location
Fresno, California, is located in the heart of the state’s Central Valley. Fresno sits around 185 miles from San Francisco and about 220 miles from Los Angeles. The city of Fresno has a population of over 500,000, making it the fifth-largest city in the state of California. Fresno State has a population of over 1,600,000 people within a 50-mile radius, giving the university a large base of potential fans to attract to its games.

Why Fresno State Was Added to the Pac-12
Fresno State doesn’t enter the Pac-12 as the conference’s wealthiest athletic department, but the Bulldogs have rarely relied on financial advantages to find success.

Questions remain about whether Fresno State can continue to retain successful coaches and keep pace financially with some of its new conference rivals. However, if the Bulldogs continue maximizing their resources as they have for decades, they have all the ingredients to become one of the Pac-12’s most valuable long-term members.

The new Pac-12 wanted institutions with passionate fan bases, competitive athletic programs, and room for growth. Fresno State checks every one of those boxes.