Right before the start of the new school semester and season, Fresno State Football hosted its Fan Appreciation Day at Valley Children’s Stadium.
Fans from around the Valley gathered to see the 2022 Bulldog Football team on the stadium turf with opportunities to purchase this year’s Fresno State Valley “V” lawn sign along with other Fresno State merchandise and photo opportunities on the field.
The main attraction of Fan Appreciation Day was the meet-and-greet autograph opportunity fromsuch Bulldogs as Jake Haener, Jalen Cropper, Jordan Mims and head coach Jeff Tedford.
Senior wide receiver Zane Pope attended many prior fan events and said he appreciates the fan support.
“Yeah, it’s awesome. We love it when the Red Wave comes out. They’re always at our games screaming and supporting us, and we love it when we get personal and get to sign autographs for them,” Pope said.
Getting personal with the fans goes both ways, according to Fresno State sophomore Kevin Landeros, who said that being able to ask questions and talk with the athletes is a rare and fun experience.
“It’s a good opportunity to get to know the players hands-on. You mainly see them either on the field, off the field or behind a screen,” Landeros said.
Jacob Conti, another student in attendance, emphasized the significance of a fan-focused event and said that interacting with the players shows that they are “regular people,” like him.
“I think it’s really awesome because you know a lot of people don’t get this opportunity. It’s really cool to walk on the field rather than just watch it if that makes sense,” Conti said.
The Bulldogs will host Cal Poly in their first home game of the season on Sept. 1 at Valley Children’s Stadium.
