Big 12 says conference expansion done, for now. Is Fresno State out, or just on hold?

The Big 12 has informed Fresno State officials that it will not pursue further expansion at this time, standing at 16 teams. But with moves still to be made in conference realignment, university president Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said he will continue to push the Bulldogs’ brand and the value of the San Joaquin Valley.

The Fresno State president said he believes the West Coast and its coveted late-night television windows remain important to the Big 12, which covers a wide swath of the country but does not include a school in the Pacific Time Zone.

The four Pac-12 schools left behind after the conference was decimated by defections two weeks ago also are focused on finding a future, including a potential expansion that could include schools from the Mountain West Conference, the Bulldogs’ home since 2012.

“Our next steps are simple: We keep our focus on being proud of who we are, develop a dynamic plan for athletic excellence and facilities’ improvements, and strengthen our resolute support for Fresno State,” Jiménez-Sandoval said, in a written response to questions from The Bee.

“We are uniquely positioned for success here at Fresno State as the only FBS institution in California’s Central Valley – the more we invest in ourselves, the greater the opportunities will be for our region.”

Jiménez-Sandoval has had discussions with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark since January about making a move to the Power Five conference, which played a role in dismantling the Pac-12 by taking Colorado, then Arizona, Arizona State and Utah.

Oregon and Washington also ditched the Pac-12 after it failed to secure a competitive media rights contract, both joining the Big Ten.

Jiménez-Sandoval said he plans to keep in touch with Big 12 officials and engage the Pac-12 schools as they emerge from the rubble of the conference, pushing the Bulldogs’ assets in any realignment equation.

Cal and Stanford have explored entry into the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten, and the four including Oregon State and Washington State could look to rebuild the Pac-12 by adding schools from the Mountain West as well as the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which are based primarily in the East and Midwest.

The Central Valley and Fresno State football have a lot to offer, Jiménez-Sandoval said, including media markets stretching from Sacramento to Bakersfield that when combined rank among the Top 20 in the nation. The school’s athletics department also has helped energize the Bulldogs’ football fan base: Over the past five seasons it has enjoyed a year-over-year increase in football attendance of more than 28%, sixth highest in the nation.

What’s next for Fresno State?

The fact that Jiménez-Sandoval has kept Fresno State in the conference expansion conversation to this point is not to be discounted, given his predecessors’ inability to capitalize on momentum generated by on-the-field football successes.

At several points the Bulldogs seemed to be staged on a launching pad, going 11-3 and reaching as high as No. 8 in the nation in 2001 and winning back-to-back Mountain West Conference championships in 2012 and ‘13. But for years it failed to move the program and athletics department forward by upgrading facilities and fundraising efforts.

The Bulldogs’ football venue, Valley Children’s Stadium, opened in 1980.

The university has done some maintenance — replacing the artificial turf field, upgrading lighting and electrical systems. But the stadium has not been expanded since the addition of seating and suites on the east side of the bowl in 1991.

An upgrade of those 32-year-old suites is expected to be completed by the start of this season, the first of sequenced steps in upgrading the venue that were outlined in May by athletics director Terry Tumey.

“The greatest lesson I learned is this: We must collectively advocate for our future – a future that is based on being thoroughly proud of our contributions as a region, while keeping a dynamic plan for our next steps,” Jiménez-Sandoval said. “We can’t be idle and complacent and we must come together to make this happen. Fresno State has a symbiotic relationship with the region and greater exposure for Fresno State on a national level will bring national attention and pride to our region in unprecedented ways.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2023 at 5:31 PM.