Fresno State football is ready for a change in conference. In fact, it has been for a while. More specifically, a “Power Five” conference promotion. The Mountain West Conference just isn’t enough for the success the Bulldogs have had over the years, and it’s time to re-evaluate the future of the Valley’s team. 

The ‘Dogs are ready for tougher competition. While being tied for the most MW Conference titles at three, they also hold five 10-plus win seasons since 2013 and the four straight wins against UCLA. Fresno State is no stranger to putting up dogfights against not just regular conference foes, but also historically tough opponents in Power Five conferences. 

The Power Five conferences consist of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, the Pac-12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). 

One of the main factors that determine conference membership is the potential financial benefits that a school can bring to the conference, such as increased television revenue and larger fan bases. Fresno State brings both of these benefits, and in large quantities, too. 

The TV market in the Central Valley (Bakersfield to Sacramento) is huge. As of June 2022, it ranks as a top-15 TV market in the country. 

The San Joaquin Valley’s support of Fresno State’s football program reigns prominent. This is the reason why the program attracts and produces pro-caliber athletes, wins conference titles, wins bowl games and collects regular season wins and close competitions against Power Five teams consistently. 

What does the university get out of it? 

To start, revenue from football coverage will result in more money to fund recruiting efforts and improve facilities like the aging Valley Children’s Stadium.

It also helps that this January, Fresno State President Dr. Saul Jimenez-Sandoval joined Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer to support a resolution urging Power Five conferences to take notice of the university athletically and academically.

For some time, Fresno State was in talks with the Pac-12 and Big-12 conferences. However, reports by John Canzano, a Pac-12 insider, later confirmed that Boise State, Fresno State and even UNLV are not likely candidates. Instead, San Diego State, SMU and Colorado State were confirmed as candidates for a Pac-12 expansion in 2024 when UCLA and USC depart from the conference. 

San Diego State, the more likely addition to the Pac-12, also fits the bill for what big conferences look for. The university recently opened Snapdragon Stadium in 2022, a 35,000 seat stadium in San Diego, in hopes to also increase its chances of promoting conferences. Its TV market and fan support also have the Pac-12 interested, and rightfully so. 

Ranking second in Mountain West Conference schools, San Diego State’s fan base competes with the powerhouses of Power Five conference schools in California like USC and UCLA. it gained even more national recognition after reaching the men’s March Madness championship game to compete for a national championship title. 

Despite Pac-12 expansion being unlikely for Fresno State, the Big-12 conference still has an ongoing interest in taking in the Bulldogs. This would be a great opportunity for the conference to expand into the West Coast. 

Another attempt at passing a type of Measure E bill could benefit Fresno State’s progress with the Big-12 conference. The funding could be put toward improving the aging, barely disabled-accessible and safety-questioned Valley Children’s Stadium and training facilities to match that of other Power Five conference schools. 

Fresno State deserves to be amongst respected programs, and I believe it has the potential to compete for bigger and better titles. It would be a positive change for the conference, the university and the fans who want to see their beloved Bulldogs on the big stage.