Green V’s are moving at Valley Children’s Stadium, as Fresno State looks to cash in

Fresno State is looking to add a sponsor’s logo to the field at Valley Children’s Stadium, a revenue-generating opportunity that was approved by the NCAA across all of its divisions last summer for regular-season college football games.

A brand new field may or may not help those sales efforts, but the athletics department has announced a partnership with AstroTurf to replace the artificial playing surface at the stadium, a deal that was in the works for close to a year.

The company will install a state-of-the-art synthetic field that will replace turf that it installed in 2019 when Fresno State also upgraded electrical infrastructure in the stadium and installed more energy-efficient LED lighting.

“Delivering a first-class game day experience for our student-athletes and fans starts with the field under our feet,” athletics director Garrett Klassy said, in a release from the athletics department. “This new turf reflects where we’re headed — not just as a football program, but as a department committed to excellence, innovation, and progress.”

When the new field is installed toward the end of April, the Green V’s at the 25-yard lines will be moved into the corner of the end zones, making room for corporate branding.

“We remain fiercely committed to representing the Valley,” Klassy said. “This update isn’t about taking something away — it’s about finding every possible way to bring resources back into our program. With the evolving landscape of college athletics, we have a responsibility to maximize every revenue stream available to us so we can continue to invest in our student-athletes, facilities, and the future of Bulldog Athletics.”

Those logos, Klassy said, are expected to generate between $500,000 and $700,000 a year in revenue for the athletics department and are a key component in efforts to generate additional revenue as the Bulldogs move toward a rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026.

Fresno State also this season is increasing ticket prices at Valley Children’s Stadium, allowing it to close a significant revenue gap.

Washington State, as one example, plays in a football stadium with a smaller capacity than Valley Children’s Stadium, but it has a number of premium seating options, including suites and indoor and outdoor clubs, and generates far more ticket revenue.

The Cougars play in Martin Stadium, which holds 32,592 fans, and reported $9,361,787 in football ticket revenue in 2022-23. Valley Children’s Stadium holds 40,727, and Fresno State that same season generated $5,313,916 in ticket revenue.

This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 12:33 PM.