Fresno State’s cut of Shakira revenue, and why future shows have more upside

Fresno State will clear about $400,000 in revenue from its sold out Shakira concert from concessions sales, parking, and premium seating from the 22 suites that line the east side of Valley Children’s Stadium, according to athletics director Garrett Klassy.

The extra revenue from the first major concert at the venue in more than four decades supports an athletics department trying to close a significant gap between it and others headed to a rebuilding Pac-12 next year.

“I don’t know what I was expecting out of it, but as we got closer to it and looking at the attendance 10 days out, I’m happy with the $400,000,” Klassy told The Fresno Bee. “The reality is, if we can get a few of these a year that’s going to be really helpful. It doesn’t close the entire gap, but it gets us closer.”

The university and its athletics department will continue to explore options with its football stadium, which through its 45-year history has sat mostly idle outside of the Bulldogs’ six home games a year.

Future concerts or outside events may also come with a higher revenue ceiling with the music industry trending toward larger stadium shows, many featuring multiple artists, a critical piece in generating concert revenue.

Shakira took the stage and dazzled a sold out crowd of more than 28,000 at Valley Children’s Stadium, the last stop in the United States on a Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour that has set ticket sales records across the world. With more than 2.5 million tickets sold, it reportedly is the biggest Latin tour ever in North and Latin America; ticket sales grossed nearly $250 million in the United States alone.

Concert promoter Live Nation booked opening acts at some Shakira venues, but not Fresno, which was a late addition to the tour schedule. Shakira also did not have an opening act when playing Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego or Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Those opening acts create breaks between the artists and while there may be stage changes or a DJ filling in, concert goers also are heading to concession stands, merchandise booths, food trucks.

“The reality is these days in the business of entertainment, you want to get the 360 revenue. It’s not just tickets,” said concert promoter Brad Jaurique, who has booked popular shows at Chukchansi Park, Selland Arena and the Save Mart Center. “You’re getting a percentage of the hot dog. You’re getting a percentage of the beer. You’re getting a percentage of the parking. That’s why we have shows set up the way we do where we have multiple artists, so that there’s a 15-minute break in between so people can go buy items to drink or eat or merchandise.

“The way that Fresno State is going to make money is by making sure they have a show that allows them the opportunity to monetize during the show,” he said.

University of Michigan, which in September will host country star Zach Bryan for the first concert at its 98-year-old football stadium, will have a co-headliner in John Mayer and supporting acts including The Texas Gentlemen and Joshua Stone. Wisconsin held concerts at Camp Randall Stadium this summer for the first time since 1997, featuring country star Morgan Wallen and the rock band Coldplay. Those shows included two opening acts. Bryan also played at Marshall, in the first concert at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

With schools scrambling for new money sources to fund revenue-sharing with student-athletes and ever escalating costs of college athletics, many are finding their football stadiums to be large and very useful assets.

“There’s upside to greater revenue in the future,” Klassy said.

The Shakira concert provided a new source of revenue for Fresno State, which is playing catch up with its sport operating budgets and also revenue-sharing with student-athletes. The school boosted football spending to $19.1 million in 2024, but according to the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database the median at the FBS (football bowl subdivision) level was $26 million. Among schools joining a rebuilding Pac-12 next year, Colorado State spent $31.4 million on football in 2024, Boise State spent $25.3 million and San Diego State $23.5 million.

The revenue generated from the Shakira show, which also included a facility rental fee and a cut of merchandising , will provide a boost primarily for a football program that was displaced for about a week prior to the concert. Crews built a stage that included a video screen that was about 50 feet high and the width of the football field as workers prepared the venue for the show. Football is the primary revenue driver for the athletics department, accounting for 87% of its ticket revenue.

This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 10:31 AM.