Could baseball, softball, water polo be Fresno State’s secret financial weapons?

Fresno State is attempting to close an athletics revenue gap with competing schools in a rebuilt Pac-12 Conference next year, handcuffed by an arena that has transformed its basketball program into just another non-revenue sport on campus.

But the Bulldogs could have an answer in trying to keep up with rising costs and new revenue-sharing for student-athletes in its bat and ball sports, baseball and softball, as well as women’s water polo and even women’s soccer. Those programs do not play at the Save Mart Center, and they have a potential financial upside that other ticketed sports on campus other than football do not.

Revenue generated from signage, suite leases, parking and concessions sales at the Save Mart Center is pledged to capital lease obligations and arena operating losses until that debt is paid off in 2031, which is one reason Bulldogs’ basketball ranks at the bottom of its conference in operating revenues.

Additional revenue could be generated, however, from signage and naming opportunities at Beiden Field (baseball), Margie Wright Diamond (softball), and the university’s aquatics center and soccer stadium, as well as increased ticket and concessions sales and parking at those venues.

Fresno State could also create premium seating options to increase ticket revenue. It could emphasize donations to programs with rosters loaded with Valley student-athletes.

“Given the size of our baseball stadium and our softball stadium, they have an opportunity to be revenue-producing sports,” athletics director Garrett Klassy said. “I don’t see them being cash cows per se, but when those stadiums were built they were two of the nicest on the West Coast and the attendance were some of the largest on the West Coast. I believe they were Top 20 in the country, and those stadiums weren’t close to full this year.

“We need to do our part engaging our fan base and working on the game experience and the fan experience and how we can draw more people to those events.”

Bulldogs’ baseball attendance on the rebound

Klassy also has explored with the city playing a baseball series downtown at Chukchansi Park, with its larger seating capacity and premium seating.

Baseball and softball could have a better chance to become revenue neutral than basketball, which would be a significant boost for the athletics department.

Fresno State baseball attendance has trended up since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulldogs’ per game average climbing to 1,520 last season from 1,258 in 2021-22. Softball attendance had declined through a rough stretch on the field, but the Bulldogs averaged 978 per game last season, its highest in three years and the 27th highest per game average in the nation.

Both sports have a following in the Valley, and they’re rising in popularity and media appeal across the country.

The Women’s College World Series set viewership records this year, averaging 1.3 million viewers over 15 games, according to Sports Media Watch. The final game of the championship series between Texas and Texas Tech, won by the Longhorns, was the most-watched softball game in history, with 2.4 million viewers and peaked at 2.7 million. The College World Series, won by Louisiana State, did not set records, but it had the third-largest viewership since 2011, according to Sports Media Watch.

And, Fresno State filled only 42.5% of its seats at baseball games, and 29.8% at softball. There’s room to grow.

It’s unclear exactly how much revenue the university could generate if it invested more into baseball and softball or other sports outside of football, its main revenue driver.

Oregon State, a Top 10 baseball program, provides an example of what’s possible. The Beavers, which offer premium seating opportunities in its Goss Stadium, reported $1.9 million in baseball ticket revenue last year. Sport-specific donations to the Beavers’ baseball program also exceeded their basketball program.

Fresno State baseball ticket revenue was about $190,000.

The increased revenue potential at Fresno State could allow it to negotiate a more favorable multimedia rights contract, whether with Learfield/Bulldog Sports Properties when that contract expires in 2026, or another entity.

Could Fresno State create new revenue sources on campus?

Revenue from those sports also could mitigate to some degree the university’s decision to give away some advertising revenue rights in a controversial naming rights deal at its football stadium with Valley Children’s Healthcare.

The opportunities in the Bulldogs’ other ticketed sports are there, and do not negatively impact basketball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, which play at the Save Mart Center.

“Any of our venues where we control the concessions and the parking, the ticket sales and the in-game experience gives us higher upside,” Klassy said.

“That doesn’t mean that we won’t support and put our efforts into men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball. We have a duty to make sure we have a great fan experience for our coaches and our student athletes there as well.”

The lack of upside at the Save Mart Center stands out.

The Bulldogs reported basketball operating revenue last year of $2.3 million, which included more than $550,000 in one-time, direct institutional support from the university, according to the financial report it filed with the NCAA. It spent $4.5 million. It lost $2.2 million. Take away the university funding and it lost more than $2.7 million — basketball revenue in 2023 and ‘22 was reported at $1.6 million, and $1.5 million in 2020 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baseball and softball combined lost a little less than $2.7 million last year.

This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.