Save Mart Center loses millions. Why isn’t Fresno State making most of ad space inside arena?

Inside the Save Mart Center there is a row of static advertising signs along the facade of the upper level of seating that could generate revenue to cut arena debt and operating losses, perhaps upgrade and modernize the aging venue or give a break to a revenue-challenged athletics department that is charged for using the building.

But the Fresno State Association, the nonprofit auxiliary organization that owns and operates the Save Mart Center, has for years barely dipped a toe in that potential revenue stream, despite financial challenges for the arena that impact campus.

More than one-third of the advertising spots are filled with in-kind house ads, or have simply never been changed out or resold at the end of sponsorship agreements. Some spots are blank, leading to questions why there haven’t been more targeted efforts to sell that advertising inventory when operating losses for each of the past four years have run between $1.3 million and $3.3 million.

The Association and the other auxiliaries on campus are in a period of transition since the retirement at the end of 2024 of Deborah Adishian-Astone, the former vice president of administration and chief financial officer, who oversaw the non-profit organizations.

Nicole Lane, executive director of auxiliary services at Fresno State, said by email that, “We are in the process of working with (arena manager) ASM Global in evaluating our permanent signage inventory for a refresh, including innovative technology solutions that will generate a return on investment.”

Lane, who would only respond by email to questions from The Bee, stressed that any impact that additional ad revenue could have on operating losses at the Save Mart Center is speculative. But with more than 70 static ad spots around the Save Mart Center, the Fresno State Association could generate revenue in the low- to mid-six figure range annually, based on conservative ad rate estimates, according to Fresno Bee research.

Arena signage is often sold as a multi-placement deal, with more than one ad in or around a venue sold as a package; interior marquee, scoreboard, signage around the arena. It also could be sold as part of a suite lease and sponsorship agreement. Adam Miller, general manager of the Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, told The Bee that a basic static sign at his venue would likely run somewhere around $10,000 to $15,000 for a year.

“If you wanted something less we have concourse signs and things like that we could probably sell for less, but to be in a prominent location you’re probably spending $10,000,” he said. “But a lot of times they’re a suite holder that has a suite and a sponsorship piece to it, so it’s included in a package. It just varies.”

Fresno State is projecting $1.7 million in advertising revenue at the Save Mart Center this year, according to budget documents from the Fresno State Association. That is nearly double its actual advertising revenue in each of the past two years and more than double the two years before that. The university said that’s due to an increase in marketing allowance with ticketmaster, its authorized online ticket seller.

But it appears Fresno State has left ad revenue untapped for years.

There are four signs in the arena that are emblazoned with #BeBold, the catch phrase of former university president Joseph I. Castro, who left that post late in 2020. There are 20 other signs affiliated with the university – the Bulldog Foundation, the teachers honor wall, Fresno State News, Lyles College of Engineering.

Attention-grabbing ribbon boards ‘not financially feasible’

Lane, the executive director of the Fresno State auxiliaries, did not answer several key questions posed in an email. One question asked if the house ads in the Save Mart Center generated any revenue and, if so, how much per year.

Another question asked why, given annual losses the Save Mart Center, there has not been more of an effort to generate additional advertising revenue? Why are so many ad spots blank? Has there ever been discussions about the cost and benefits to installing digital ribbon boards? If so, what were the determining factors in not upgrading?

Lane did address some questions posed by The Bee in her email response.

“The Save Mart Center is part of Fresno State and has the ability to provide in-kind promotional and branding opportunities for the campus and its colleges/schools and programs,” she said.

“There have been discussions about digital ribbon boards, however the cost of the investment is not financially feasible at this time. As partnership opportunities become available, this will continue to be explored.”

Signage that is generating no revenue

Until recently, there was one ad spot for Community Medical Centers and two for a Clovis orthopedic practice. The three arena ads were displayed in apparent violation of the football stadium naming rights agreement between the university’s Athletic Corporation and Valley Children’s Healthcare. In that contract, Fresno State gave the Madera-based nonprofit exclusivity in advertising healthcare services not just at the stadium, which now bears its name, but at all athletics venues on campus, including the Save Mart Center.

There are exceptions, including for Sierra Pacific Orthopedics, a longtime provider of medical and athletic training services to the athletics department and the Bulldogs’ sports programs. Community Medical Centers and Simonian Sports Medicine, the Clovis orthopedic practice, were not among those exceptions named in the contract.

Valley Children’s Healthcare, whose partnership with the university includes the funding of scholarships and increased opportunities for students pursuing degrees in the healthcare field, gave its approval to display the ad boards, according to Zara Arboleda, spokesperson for Valley Children’s Hospital.

“There are times when strategic exceptions are made to provide Fresno State benefits from additional resources while staying aligned with our mission,” Arboleda said. “Valley Children’s carefully evaluates such requests, granting exceptions when they strengthen our collaboration and enhance the university’s ability to serve students and the community. Signage at the Save Mart Center was one such exception.”

The Community Medical Center contract, however, expired at the end of August, 2023, according to the university.

The sign generated no additional revenue for the Save Mart Center or the university auxiliary and was not replaced by one that did. It remained, anchored above one of four ground-level exits. Simonian also was a dead account, and its advertising was not replaced.

The three signs have been taken down since an inquiry from The Bee in late January into the ads in the healthcare category and the others in the building.

Operating losses, and a principal and interest payment due

Valley Children’s does not have signage among that row of panels, though it has exclusivity in advertising healthcare services in the building and a naming rights agreement that runs through the end of June, 2032.

The static advertising does not hold high value compared to full-color, attention-grabbing LED ribbon boards featured in many arenas the size of the Save Mart Center, which seats as many as 18,000 for center-stage concerts, 15,596 for basketball and 15,500 for end-stage concerts.

But Learfield/Bulldog Sports Properties, the university’s athletics multimedia rights partner, has sponsorship rights in the Save Mart Center that include the scorer’s table, press row or any baseline table advertising panels; basketball goal post padding and backboard supports, subject to NCAA rules; and temporary or permanent logo opportunities on the court, as approved by the university.

It also controls concourse and lobby advertising displays.

The row of static advertising around the arena belongs to the Fresno State Association.

While the impact of additional advertising revenue may be speculative, the operating losses are not and are absorbed by other auxiliary units within the Association. That includes revenue from dormitories, the university dining hall and campus bookstores, which have a direct impact on pricing and student budgets.

Any net surplus generated by those operations at the end of a fiscal year are directed by board policy to reserve accounts used to fund long-term capital lease obligations, as facility improvements and deferred maintenance.

Additional revenue could also go toward alleviating pressure on the university’s athletics department, which not only does not receive a cut of revenue from suite leases, signage, concessions sales and parking, but also is charged for its use of the Save Mart Center. It pays around $700,000 a year for floor changeovers, and on basketball or volleyball game days everything from utilities, to security, staffing, housekeeping and on down to a 5-cent printing fee for every ticket that goes through its box office.

Athletics spending increased in 2024, but it still ranks below the majority of peers that will be in the Pac-12, including San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State.

This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 6:30 AM.