Fresno State football has big expectations, and will play on biggest stage ever this season

Fresno State will take its big expectations for the 2022 football season onto the biggest stage it has ever had, with all 12 of its regular-season games to be televised on a national platform for the first time in school history.

That includes what three-plus months out appears to be an outsized opportunity at USC on Sept. 17, which will be on FOX that night at 7:30 p.m. The Bulldogs’ Oct. 8 game at Boise State also could be a candidate to be carried by the primary FOX network, and at this point is one of five Fresno State games slated for FOX, FS1 or FS2.

The TV assignment and kickoff times for those games will be determined during the season 12 days in advance, though a six-day window is also available to FOX.

The Bulldogs’ season-opener against Cal Poly, which was moved to Thursday Sept. 1, will be televised by FS1, giving quarterback Jake Haener and a high-flying offense that returns 83% of its production from a 10-3 team a chance to make an early national impression.

The Bulldogs have one game locked in on FOX, two on FS1, five on one of the FOX networks and four games on the CBS Sports Network, according to the Mountain West Conference, which on Thursday announced the bulk of its national television schedule.

Kickoff times for seven of the Bulldogs’ games also have been set, and games at UNLV and against Wyoming over Thanksgiving weekend have been moved to Friday nights on Nov. 11 and Nov. 25.

The televised matchup against the FCS Mustangs is a rarity for Fresno State — when the Bulldogs and Cal Poly played last season the game was on local TV, a 2019 game against Sacramento State and a 2018 game against Idaho were carried online, and there was no television or online broadcast in 2017 for Incarnate Word or in 2016 for Sacramento State.

And, the past two times the Bulldogs generated much national buzz before a football season, they lacked similar national exposure.

In 2013, they had two games carried on local TV and one more broadcast online on the Mountain West Network. They also played regular-season games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPN News, the CBS Sports Network.

In 2018, they opened the season playing Idaho on Facebook/Stadium and had five games that season on ESPNU.

But Fresno State could go into a season ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since 2005, and, it will have opportunities on national TV to build its résumé while eyeing a Mountain West title and spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game.

The Bulldogs, who last season won 10 or more games for the 10th time in school history and third time in five years, are No. 37 in ESPN’s updated SP+ power rankings, which are based on returning production, recent recruiting and recent history. Cincinnati and SMU at No. 11 and No. 33 are the only Group of Five conference programs rated higher with FBS independent BYU at No. 25.

Fresno State football schedule

Sept. 1 – Cal Poly, 7:30 p.m., FS1

Sept. 10 – Oregon State, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN

Sept. 17 – at USC, 7:30 p.m., FOX

Oct. 1 – at UConn, 12:30 p.m., CBSSN

Oct. 8 – at Boise State, TBD, FOX networks

Oct. 15 – San Jose State, TBD, FOX networks

Oct. 22 – at New Mexico, TBD, FOX networks

Oct. 29 – San Diego State, TBD, FOX networks

Nov. 5 – Hawaii, TBD, FOX networks

Nov. 11 – at UNLV, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN

Nov. 19 – at Nevada, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN

Nov. 25 – Wyoming, 7 p.m., FS1

This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 11:54 AM.