Fresno State fans relive glory days as Bulldogs play basketball at Selland Arena
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fresno State staged a nostalgia game at Selland Arena that drew 4,374 fans.
- Longtime supporters recalled iconic coaches and urged more downtown games.
- Attendees valued atmosphere and memories over the Bulldogs’ 76-71 loss.
Fresno State men’s basketball fans returned to Selland Arena Sunday afternoon, eager to watch the Bulldogs play against Cal State Bakersfield.
Never mind the Bulldogs lost 76-71 before 4,374 fans, it was all about memories.
Fans started arriving at the historic venue an hour before tip-off, where many iconic moments happened downtown under iconic coaches Boyd Grant and Jerry Tarkanian.
Fans filled seats throughout the arena, including longtime supporter Robert Shaw, who has been attending games at Selland since 1975 — long before the team’s move to the Save Mart Center in 2003.
Shaw noticed something different: the scorekeepers’ table was now set up on the opposite side of the floor from where it used to be.
“I came and saw everything was on that side,” he recalled. “I have a better seat at the Save Mart Center now. But I’m glad to be back. It brings back a lot of memories.”
For fans like Lynda Seibert of Fresno, nostalgia was the main draw.
“It’s the nostalgia,” she said, reminiscing about Grant and Tarkanian’s tenure, when Selland Arena was always sold out.
Seibert expressed hope that Fresno State and the city would work together to bring more games back downtown.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said.
Even fans from outside the city made the trip for the occasion.
Kerry Elms drove in from Modesto, purely for the experience.
“I used to enjoy the games at Selland,” he said. “The games at the Save Mart Center don’t have the same atmosphere. I’m here to see if we can bring back the old times. There have been a lot of coaches, but Tarkanian is the one I remember most. When he was here, the place was electric.”
