Will Fresno State play football this fall? The Bulldogs can’t afford to lose a season
A week ago, prospects of a 2020 Bulldogs football season seemed bleak after comments by the Cal State University chancellor were widely misconstrued.
Monday, the clouds parted a bit thanks to a ray of hope from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
What will next week bring, or next month? Where on the COVID-19 curve will we find ourselves in September? That will depend on prevailing health conditions — factors that are beyond Fresno State Athletic Director Terry Tumey’s control.
“It was very encouraging to hear our governor talk about pro sports” returning in June with no fans, Tumey said in a Tuesday phone interview. “It makes those of us who work in college athletics feel hopeful as well. But we are always going to couch that optimism in a cloak of safety.”
The official answer as to whether Fresno State will play football this fall is TBA. A university task force has been created to consider two scenarios for campus-wide operations. The panel is charged with submitting a recommendation by Friday to President Joseph Castro, who will render a decision in early June.
(Neither scenario specifically addresses athletics, though under the first plan “major events and activities” would “remain suspended.”)
Unofficially, the decision is colored by a palette of shades and nuances.
For example, it is hard to imagine Fresno State going a different direction than fellow CSU schools and Mountain West members San Diego State and San Jose State. Unless health conditions in each region widely differ, all three will play football or all three won’t.
“I would tend to believe there will be consistency between the (CSU) institutions,” Tumey agreed. “I wouldn’t see one institution going in a vitally different way from the others in this environment.”
Both San Diego State AD John David Wicker and San Jose State AD Marie Tuite have publicly stated they “believe” football season will be played as scheduled this fall and are “planning” for that to happen.
Which means there’s a certain amount of peer pressure. If the Bulldogs choose to suspend football while the Aztecs and Spartans play on, long-term damage to the program would be incalculable.
Certain financial realities are also impossible to escape. Perhaps even more so than its in-state rivals, the economic model of Fresno State’s athletic department is built upon a strong football foundation.
Where the revenues come from
In financial statements for the 2019 fiscal year, Fresno State athletics reported $49.8 million in total operating revenues. The largest chunk of that ($16.4 million) came from “direct institutional support” — a number that is likely to shrink as the university braces for budget cuts.
Second is $7.8 in contributions, of which $2.9 million was donated expressly for football. Third is ticket sales ($6.4M) with football accounting for $5 million of that. Football was also largely responsible for Fresno State collecting $3.7 million from licensing agreements and advertising; receiving $2.1 million in distributions from the MW; taking in $1.1 million via local media rights; earning $1 million in game guarantees; and selling $963,000 worth of parking spaces and concessions.
Remove football and the revenue side of the ledger looks awfully light.
One of the questions I asked Tumey was whether Fresno State could afford to pay for its 20 other sports if the six home games at Bulldog Stadium are played before no fans or a greatly reduced number.
He turned the query on its head.
“I don’t know if the question is, ‘Can you afford to play?’ I would say the question may be, ‘Can you afford not to play?’“ Tumey said. “Without football some of the other revenue streams that you also receive, they dissipate dramatically. … The revenue model here is based on our ability to have football at is core.”
‘Not really about the sport’
In a normal year, the Bulldogs would spend much of June and July conducting player-led workouts while enrolled in summer school before beginning training camp in early August. The season opener is Sept. 5 at Bulldog Stadium, slated to be Kalen DeBoer’s head-coaching debut.
This year, with Fresno State’s summer-school classes being held online, Tumey said all dates remain on hold until the university can assure a level of safety for players, coaches and staff. That includes accurate and available testing, contact tracing, monitoring of movements and a plan in the event of positive tests.
“It is not really about the sport itself,” Tumey added. “First and foremost, it is more about trying to create an environment that is conducive for a safe re-entry to our campus.”
Much can happen in the 107 days between now and the Bulldogs’ scheduled opener against Idaho State. Just look at how much our world has changed over the last two months.
But if we continue flattening the curve, there’s hope of enjoying Fresno State football this fall.
In 2020, a little hope goes a long way.
