The rise to the Pac-12

Get to know Fresno State’s new competition while looking back at 105 years of climbing the conference ladder

As Fresno grew as a community, Fresno State sports became a flagship of the city’s culture and identity – a way to put Fresno on the map.

When the Bulldogs experience success, the buzz created on campus and throughout the community is palpable. Few fan bases are as loud and passionate as the Red Wave. For generations, fans have supported the university with grassroots giving and packed stadiums and arenas.

It’s a tradition that dates back more than a century, when Fresno State was a teachers college and its athletes were competing in the California Coast Conference.

And now, the Bulldogs embark on their biggest challenge yet. Entering a new era of college athletics in which name, image and likeness (NIL), the transfer portal, and the massive budgets of a select few are making it more challenging than ever to aim for new heights, Fresno State is doing just that.

On July 1, Fresno State joined the Pac-12 Conference, positioning itself to compete at the highest level. The Bulldogs are joined by Pac-12 stalwarts Oregon State and Washington State, plus new members Boise State, Colorado State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State.

Here, we present a timeline of the conferences Fresno State has competed in over the past 105 years, and capsules highlighting each of the Bulldogs’ Pac-12 conference mates.

1922-24

California Coast Conference
Fresno State Normal School opened its doors on Sept. 11, 1911, and first began athletic competition a decade later in 1921. With the Bulldogs’ football, men’s basketball and baseball programs all in their infancy, Fresno State began competition in the California Coast Conference in 1922 against the likes of San Jose State, Cal Poly, Chico State, University of the Pacific and several junior colleges in the state. The Bulldogs football team won the conference championship in 1922, a co-championship in 1923 and reached the conference title game in 1924 (pictured).

1925-39

Far Western Conference
Fresno State Stadium, now known as Ratcliffe Stadium on the original Fresno State campus (now Fresno City College) was dedicated on Oct. 9, 1926, and served as the home to Bulldogs football and track and field for more than 50 years. The undefeated 1930 football team finished 8-0 and won one of the team’s three Far Western Conference titles against the likes of Pacific, Nevada, UC Davis and Chico State. This era also included several track and field feats – headlined by high jumper Walter Marty, who became the first Fresno State athlete to win an NCAA title. In 1935, Elroy Robinson (pictured) won the
NCAA title in the half-mile.

1939-68

California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)
Fresno State, San Diego State, San Jose State and UC Santa Barbara were charter members of the CCAA. On the track, Dutch Warmerdam was setting world records in the pole vault on his way to becoming the Bulldogs’ Athlete of the Century as voted by fans. In 1964, the track and field team won Fresno State’s first team national championship, in the NCAA College Division. In 1952, Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama led the baseball team to its first NCAA Tournament, and the Bulldogs made their first Men’s College World Series in 1959. Women’s volleyball and women’s basketball launched their programs in 1965, the same year Varsity Field (now Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium) opened for the baseball team. And in 1968, the men’s tennis team won the Division II national championship.

1969-91

Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) / Big West Conference
While Fresno State was finding its identity across the board athletically, its PCAA and Big West era (the conference rebranded as the Big West in 1988) was defined largely by dominance in the bat-and-ball sports along with a meteoric rise on the football field following the construction of then-Bulldog Stadium in 1979. This coincided with Fresno State’s rise to the highest level of Division I athletics and a groundswell of support from a fan base that was growing exponentially. The success of men’s basketball in the early 1980s under Boyd Grant – including a Sweet 16 appearance and No. 11 ranking in 1982 and an NIT championship in 1983 (pictured) – led to the fan base being nicknamed the Red Wave because of the thousands of fans traveling up and down the state to cheer on their teams. The softball and baseball programs were both national powers.

1992-2011

Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
In an era where former Bulldogs football coach Jim Sweeney had long referred to Fresno State as a “sleeping giant,” the move to the WAC in 1992 was a major boost for the athletics department. Fresno State joined BYU, Utah, San Diego State, Hawaii, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado State and Air Force and won shares of the WAC football championship in each of its first two seasons behind quarterback Trent Dilfer and a slew of other NFL talent. The Bulldogs won their first Division I team national championship in 1998 when Margie Wright led the softball team to a Women’s College World Series title behind the arm of Amanda Scott and the bats of Nina Lindenberg and Laura Berg. Ten years later, the baseball team won the Men’s College World Series (pictured) under Mike Batesole, future Major Leaguer Justin Wilson and home run king Tom Mendonca. The men’s basketball team also garnered national recognition from 1995-2002 under coach Jerry Tarkanian, with consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 behind two NBA lottery picks in Courtney Alexander and Melvin Ely.

2012-26

Mountain West
Fresno State football kicked off its Mountain West era in style, winning a share of the conference football title in 2012 and winning an outright championship in 2013 behind quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Davante Adams. The women’s basketball team capped its most impressive run in school history with seven straight WAC and Mountain West regular season and/or tournament titles and seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2008-14 under coaches Adrian Wiggins and Raegan Pebley. The men’s basketball team returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 for the first time in 15 years, under coach Rodney Terry and Mountain West Player of the Year Marvelle Harris.

2026-present

Pac-12
Fresno State enters Pac-12 play with longtime rival San Diego State, a fierce two-decade rival Boise State, a school it has never before played on the gridiron in Texas State, and a slew of other familiar foes.

Note: Affiliate conference members for various Olympic sports not listed.

Fresno State Bulldogs

Fresno, CA – population 560,000
Enrollment: 25,000
Most popular majors: Psychology, liberal studies, criminology-law enforcement
Tuition: $5,759 (in-state)
Notable alumni: Sam Iacobellis (developed the B1-B bomber), Ross Bagdasarian (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Malinda Chouinard (co-founder of Patagonia), Daniel Silva (author)
Notable sports alumni: Aaron Judge (MLB), Davante Adams (NFL), Paul George (NBA), Derek Carr (NFL), David Carr (NFL)
Football venue: Valley Children’s Stadium (40,727)
Basketball venue: Save Mart Center (16,000)

San Diego State Aztecs

San Diego, CA – population 1.4 million
Distance from Fresno State: 345 miles
Enrollment: 41,200
Most popular majors: Psychology, business administration, criminal justice
Tuition: $9,780 per year (in-state)
Notable alumni: Gregory Peck (actor), Marion Ross (actress), Raquel Welch (actress), Jim Sinegal (co-founder of Costco), Ralph Rubio (founder of Rubio’s Coastal Grill)
Notable sports alumni: Kawhi Leonard (NBA), Marshall Faulk (NFL), Tony Gwynn (MLB), Stephen Strasburg (MLB)
Football venue: Snapdragon Stadium (35,000)
Basketball venue: Viejas Arena (12,414)

Oregon State Beavers

Corvallis, OR – population 62,000
Distance from Fresno State: 693 miles
Enrollment: 28,519
Most popular majors: Computer science, psychology, business administration and management
Tuition: $13,395 (in-state)
Notable alumni: Douglas Engelbart (inventor of computer mouse), Dr. Albert Starr (co-inventor of the first artificial heart valve), Leonard Shoen (founder of U-Haul), John Young (president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard)
Notable sports alumni: Gary Payton (NBA), Chad Ochocinco (NFL), Steven Jackson (NFL), Dick Fosbury (Olympic high-jumper”), Adley Rutschman (MLB)
Football venue: Reser Stadium (35,548)
Basketball venue: Gill Coliseum (9,301)

Boise State Broncos

Boise, ID – population 238,000
Distance from Fresno State: 727 miles
Enrollment: 28,519
Most popular majors: Nursing, psychology, health studies
Tuition: $9,364 (in-state)
Notable alumni: Brad Little (Idaho governor), Steve Appleton (chairman and CEO of Micron Technology)
Notable sports alumni: Kellen Moore (head coach New Orleans Saints), Demarcus Lawrence (NFL), Ryan Clady (NFL)
Football venue: Albertson’s Stadium (36,363)
Basketball venue: ExtraMile Arena (12,380)

Utah State Aggies

Logan, UT – population 56,000
Distance from Fresno State: 858 miles
Enrollment: 29,831
Most popular majors: Economics, psychology, communicative disorders
Tuition: $9,066 (in-state)
Notable alumni: Sawyer Hemsley (co-founder of Crumbl Cookies), Harry Reid (politician), Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari, Inc. and Chuck E. Cheese)
Notable sports alumni: Jordan Love (NFL), Merlin Olsen (NFL), Bobby Wagner (NFL)
Football venue: Merlin Olsen Field (25,513)
Basketball venue: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270)

Washington State Cougars

Pullman, WA – population 34,000
Distance from Fresno State: 998 miles
Enrollment: 25,477
Most popular majors: Business management, psychology, nursing
Tuition: $14,270 (in-state)
Notable alumni: Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft), Edward R. Murrow (journalist), Gary Larson (creator of “Far Side” comic strip), Jamie Kern Lima (co-founder of IT Cosmetics)
Notable sports alumni: Klay Thompson (NBA), Drew Bledsoe (NFL), Ryan Leaf (NFL), John Olerud (MLB)
Football venue: Martin Stadium (39,952)
Basketball venue: Beasley Coliseum (11,671)

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Spokane, WA – population 231,000
Distance from Fresno State: 998 miles
Enrollment: 7,400
Most popular majors: Business, management and marketing, psychology
Tuition: $58,390
Notable alumni: Bing Crosby (musician), Tom Foley (former U.S. Speaker of the House), Julia Sweeney (actress, “Saturday Night Live”)
Notable sports alumni: John Stockton (NBA), Chet Holmgren (NBA), Jason Bay (MLB)
Football venue: N/A
Basketball venue: McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)

Colorado State Rams

Fort Collins, CO – population 172,000
Distance from Fresno State: 1,206 miles
Enrollment: 34,200
Most popular majors: Business administration, psychology, biological sciences
Tuition: $13,774 (in-state)
Notable alumni: Temple Grandin (animal scientist, autism advocate), Scott Carpenter (Mercury 7 astronaut), Gary Johnson (former governor of New Mexico), Leslie Jones (comedian and actress)
Notable sports alumni: Becky Hammon (basketball coach), Trey McBride (NFL), Randy Gradishar (NFL)
Football venue: Canvas Stadium (36,500)
Basketball venue: Moby Arena (8,083)

Texas State Bobcats

San Marcos, TX – population 90,000
Distance from Fresno State: 1,638 miles
Enrollment: 44,600
Most popular majors: Psychology, business administration and management, criminal justice
Tuition: $12,240 (in-state)
Notable alumni: Lyndon B. Johnson (36th U.S. President), George Strait (musician), Farrah Fawcett (actress), Owen and Luke Wilson (actors), Rick Riordan (author of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”)
Notable sports alumni: Paul Goldschmidt (MLB), Charles Austin (high-jump Olympian)
Football venue: UFCU Stadium (28,388)
Basketball venue: Strahan Arena (7,200)