FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Bulldog Basketball is returning to Downtown Fresno, and an arena synonymous with success.<\/p>\n
The Fresno State Men’s Basketball team is gearing up to play its first game at Selland Arena since 2009.<\/p>\n
Selland served as the home of the Bulldogs for 37 years, from 1966 to 2003.<\/p>\n
It’s where the spotlight shone on legendary head coach Jerry Tarkanian.<\/p>\n
Former Bulldog Damon Jackson has fond memories playing for ‘Tark under the lights of Selland Arena.<\/p>\n
“In my career, I’ve never played in a game there that was not sold out, so you know it was a big thing back then. It was hard to get tickets, all the fans loved to come to the game and they supported the heck out of us,” Jackson said.<\/p>\n
Jackson is one of dozens of former Bulldogs who will return to the Valley on Sunday to watch the game inside Selland.<\/p>\n
His last time playing on the court was in 2003, when his 28-point performance against Nevada helped the Bulldogs clinch the Western Athletic Conference title.<\/p>\n
“I’m pretty excited to see the old gym, see the team play in the old gym, and hopefully they can bring home a win for us in the old gym,” Jackson told Action News.<\/p>\n
Head coach Vance Walberg hopes this nod to the past can inspire the team into the future, saying, “I think it’s great for these guys to understand the history and the different players that have played here.”<\/p>\n
Mayor Jerry Dyer says the city is pulling out all the stops to welcome fans Downtown.<\/p>\n
“We as a city, we want to make sure that everything goes off flawlessly, and so we’re providing three of our trolleys to be able to run routes from campus point to the brewery district, to Selland Arena. They’ll be running every 15 minutes,” Dyer said.<\/p>\n
Before tip-off, fans can stop by Tioga-Sequoia in the brewery district for a pregame party.<\/p>\n
Dyer called this game another piece in the puzzle of revitalising the area.<\/p>\n
“We want to continue with that, and this is just one additional step. So it’s two-fold. It’s getting people excited about Downtown Fresno, but also getting people excited about Bulldog Basketball,” Dyer said.<\/p>\n
Tip-off is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. at Selland Arena.<\/p>\n