Fresno State Athletic Director Garrett Klassy has signed a five-year contract extension to remain with the Bulldogs.
The agreement guarantees Klassy a total of $2.9 million, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The big picture: Klassy’s contract amounts to an average of $580,000 per year and reportedly ranks among the largest guaranteed deals for an athletic director outside the Power Four conferences.
Klassy joined Fresno State in July 2024 after serving as deputy athletic director and chief revenue officer at the University of Houston.
He was hired after Fresno State and former Athletic Director Terry Tumey mutually agreed to part ways.
Driving the news: Fresno State has undergone significant changes since Klassy took over the athletic department.
The Bulldogs officially moved from the Mountain West to the rebuilt Pac-12 on July 1.
Klassy hired Matt Entz as Fresno State’s head football coach.
Fresno State established Bulldog Sports Enterprises to bring the athletic department’s multimedia rights and sponsorship operations in-house.
The university signed a wide-ranging sponsorship agreement with The Wonderful Company covering all 18 Bulldog athletic programs.
Klassy has also overseen efforts to improve the university’s athletic facilities, increase revenue and strengthen Fresno State’s name, image and likeness opportunities.
The backstory: Before joining Houston, Klassy held leadership positions at Nebraska, where he served as interim athletic director, and the University of Illinois Chicago, where he was athletic director.
He has also worked in athletic departments at Oregon, Alabama and Wisconsin.
What’s next: Fresno State has not publicly announced or commented on Klassy’s extension.
The new agreement keeps Klassy in place as Fresno State navigates its transition into the Pac-12 and works to capitalize on the increased television exposure and revenue opportunities associated with the conference move.