Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Boulevard To Be Unveiled This Fall
8/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 13, 2005
Fresno State Alumni Association
FRESNO, Calif. - Tailgating at Fresno State football games has never been better!
New in 2005 is Bulldog Boulevard -- a fiesta of merriment for all ages alike who enjoy food, drink and entertainment in a wholesome and clean atmosphere.
Presented by the Fresno State Alumni Association, Bulldog Boulevard is a free tailgate party that will be showcased for three home Saturday football games in 2005. Located at the intersection of Cedar and Barstow Avenues, Bulldog Boulevard will run along the north side of Bulldog Diamond up until the Gray Lot (Lot K), which sits just in front of the North Gym.
Open three hours before game time and closing down 30 minutes prior to kick off, Bulldog Boulevard will make its debut on Sat., Sept. 10, when Fresno State opens its home schedule against Weber State. The final two dates includes Fresno State's Homecoming game on Sat., Oct. 15 versus Utah State and Sat., Nov. 5 against San Jose State.
So, what does Bulldog Boulevard offer?
With an entertainment stage for live music, fans will be able to purchase foods from various vendors that include Dug Out Cookies, Mother Mary's Pizza, Forestiere's Italian Deli, Harley's Bar and Grill, Kettlecorn and Juice It Up. Other vendors involved will be the Bulldog Shop (Fresno State souvenirs), Sprint (interactive prize wheel) and Archos (interactive MP3's).
The Fresno State Alumni Association will sponsor the "Dog Pound". Here, fans and alumni can purchase a whole meal served by University Food Services. In addition, the Alcoholic Advisory Council tent will have Bulldog student-athletes from various teams on hand to sign autographs.
Keeping the children busy, the Bulldog Fun Zone will showcase six inflatable games, an obstacle course, a bounce house, a slide and much more. Pre-game fun at Fresno State has never been better.
Fresno State has enjoyed a rich tradition of Bulldog fans tailgating. This year, Bulldog Boulevard is offering all to enjoy themselves on the university.
"The Fresno State Alumni Association is proud to be the presenting sponsor of Bulldog Boulevard," said John Gomes, President, Board of the Directors. "We are excited to offer our members and Red Wave fans a place to enjoy themselves before the Saturday home games."
How Bulldog Boulevard came to be was a campus-wide partnership. Recognizing that there was something missing for the general public, Bulldog Boulevard was born to provide a true family oriented environment.
Taking the concept from paper to reality meant bringing the campus together as one as various athletic and campus personnel were involved to make football game day a campus-wide event. Bringing this concept to fruition started with Bulldog Sports Properties (BSP), the multi-media rights holder for Fresno State Athletics.
"This concept is a grass roots marketing effort," said Steve Sullivan, general manager of Bulldog Sports Properties. "This is just not for the athletic department. This is a concept that will represent the whole university and we have different groups involved like the alumni association, the Alcohol Advisory Council and the Office of Student Affairs. We're all partners. We see this as a way to showcase the campus in a positive light and we've created something new for the community to enjoy on football game days."
Perception of Bulldog Boulevard is just as important for all involved. Concentrating on a family atmosphere, this promotion also means that pure clean fun can be had by all without the presence of alcohol.
"Our campus Alcohol Advisory Council is pleased to be a sponsor of Bulldog Boulevard because it will provide an alcohol free environment of fun and socializing for the whole family - it's presence is another effort to reduce the emphasis on alcohol in conjunction with our athletic events," said Dr. Paul Oliaro, Vice President for Student Affairs, who was instrumental in directing this project through campus-wide approval. "Bulldog Boulevard will be ideally located for fans who are using the shuttle from our east campus parking lots. They will be able to enjoy the food, music and a family friendly atmosphere on their way to the stadium."
Bulldog Boulevard will be the place to be on Saturday's. Remember that admission is free and open to the public. For additional information on Bulldog Boulevard, visit the Fresno State Alumni Association's web site (fresnostatealumni.com) or the school's official athletic web site (gobulldogs.com).
The Bulldog football team through a full padded practice Saturday and will hold their first scrimmage of fall camp Sunday evening. Head coach Pat Hill is pleased with his team's progress.
"We have been practicing at a good pace," Hill said. "The scrimmage is going to give the coaching staff a good opportunity to evaluate and make decisions on personnel. There are a lot of hungry Bulldogs who want to show what they can go. Overall, I'm pleased with the practices we've had so far."
Season tickets for the 2005 Bulldog Football season, including various Family Value Plans, are available at the Bulldog Ticket Office, by calling (559) 278-DOGS or on-line at gobulldogs.com.
