Will Fresno State sell out home football opener? Ticket sales surge as kickoff nears
Fresno State has sold at least 35,000 tickets for its past 14 home football games and with the usual game-week surge from the Red Wave it is expected to extend that run in its home opener Saturday against Sacramento State.
With season and single-game tickets moving at a steady clip after the Bulldogs extended No. 9 Michigan for four quarters in a season-opening loss, athletics department officials are expecting the crowd to hit the high 30,000 range. If it were to sell out, it would be the fourth in the past seven home games for Fresno State, which last season led all Group of Five programs in attendance at 39,969 per game.
The official capacity of the stadium is 40,727.
The streak of 35,000-plus, which started with a big push on social media and targeted advertising campaigns under former athletics director Terry Tumey, already is the Bulldogs’ longest since a 34-game run that started in 1999 and ended in 2005. The next longest streak is eight games, with the last four games in 2005 and the first four in 2006.
“Since 2019, we’ve made a concerted effort to engage with our valley community and our student body with new and creative ways to not only make coming to Bulldog football games and source of entertainment each fall, but also a genuine source of pride,” said Frank Pucher, senior associate athletics director for external relations.
“Football games in this Valley mean more than other places, and highlighting the unique togetherness and connection between our program and the Red Wave has helped enhance the emotional attachment to our brand. Our fans play a vital role in the success our teams have achieved in recent years.”
Fresno State last had less than 35,000 fans in the stadium for a 2021 game against Nevada, when 33,021 took in a 34-32 victory over the Wolf Pack.
Students have had a big impact in the surge, and are closing in on what would be a record 3,500 season tickets sold this year. Just three years ago, Fresno State sold 522 student season tickets for its football games. That number jumped to 2,158 in 2022 and to 2,898 last season.
The athletics department typically reserves around 3,500 tickets for students, but will expand the student sections to accommodate demand. The Bulldogs averaged 5,538 students at its six home games last season.
Fresno State has 18 games in a row against opponents from the football championship subdivision (FCS), though the Bulldogs had to go to overtime last season to beat Eastern Washington 34-31. They are 4-0 all-time against Sacramento State and have outscored the Hornets by a combined 113-33.