Fresno State announces contract extension for Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy

FRESNO, Calif. - After leading Fresno State Athletics through one of the most transformative periods in the history of Bulldog Athletics, Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy has signed a contract extension through June 30, 2031.

"This is home for us," Klassy said. "My family loves Fresno and the Valley, and I am incredibly fortunate to work every day alongside a transformational leader and visionary president in Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. I'm a builder at heart, and I believe Fresno State deserves the opportunity to do something truly special. That is what we intend to deliver. This has never felt like simply a job to me. It is a tremendous responsibility to represent Fresno State and the Valley, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue doing it."

Klassy, who was named Fresno State's Director of Athletics in June 2024, has guided Bulldog Athletics through a pivotal period while positioning the department for continued growth and long-term success.

"Garrett has provided steady, forward-thinking leadership during a transformative time for Fresno State Athletics," University President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said. "He understands what the Bulldogs mean to the Central Valley and has demonstrated a clear commitment to serving our student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters. This extension reflects our confidence in Garrett and the direction of our athletics department as Fresno State prepares for an exciting new era."

At the center of that transformation was Fresno State's historic move to the Pac-12 Conference, which became effective July 1, 2026. Klassy played a central role in the university's conference strategy, transition planning and competitive positioning, elevating Fresno State's national profile and creating new opportunities for its student-athletes, coaches, supporters and the broader university community.

Klassy also reshaped the department's commercial business model through the creation of Bulldog Sports Enterprises, a quasi-in-house multimedia rights and corporate partnerships operation designed to give Fresno State greater control of its brand, intellectual property and revenue-generating assets. The locally focused model creates greater flexibility to develop innovative partnerships, strengthen relationships with Valley businesses and expand NIL opportunities for Fresno State student-athletes.

Through Bulldog Sports Enterprises, Fresno State secured the largest corporate partnership in the history of Bulldog Athletics with The Wonderful Company. The landmark agreement features jersey patch branding across Fresno State sports, prominent football field branding and a wide-ranging collection of digital, community and student-athlete-focused assets. The partnership connects one of the Central Valley's most recognizable companies with the region's most visible athletics brand and reflects Klassy's vision of building nationally significant partnerships rooted in the Valley.

Klassy has also heavily focused on expanding the Bulldogs' reach throughout the Valley, developing new opportunities for fan engagement and strengthening relationships with university, community and corporate partners. Fresno State Athletics has also achieved record fundraising success during Klassy's tenure, reflecting growing donor confidence and unprecedented philanthropic support for Bulldog student-athletes and programs.

The Bulldogs have achieved historic academic success during Klassy's tenure. Fresno State student-athletes recorded a department-record grade-point average and led the Mountain West in academic all-conference honorees. These achievements reflect Klassy's commitment to developing student-athletes who are prepared to lead in competition, in the classroom and throughout their lives.

Competitive success has followed. Fresno State captured the Mountain West Baseball Championship and celebrated an individual NCAA national championship in the women's discus. Klassy has also led five key head coaching hires across the department: Matt Entz in football, Ryan McCarthy in women's basketball, Charlotte Morgan in softball, Mary Ritchie in women's golf and Gabe Bolton in soccer. The appointments have established new leadership and long-term direction across several of Fresno State's most visible programs.

Fan and community engagement have also reached new levels under Klassy's direction. Football averaged more than 40,000 fans per game and led the Mountain West in both total and average attendance. Additionally, Valley Children's Stadium hosted the first concert in the venue's history, welcoming global superstar Shakira and demonstrating the stadium's potential as a year-round entertainment destination. The landmark event created new opportunities to generate revenue, attract visitors to the region and strengthen the venue's connection to the Central Valley.

"Fresno State Athletics belongs to the Valley," Klassy added. "Our responsibility is to bring people together, create experiences that make our community proud and make sure people throughout this region feel connected to the Bulldogs. Whether it is a football Saturday, a championship event or bringing a global artist to Valley Children's Stadium, we want Fresno State to be a place where the Valley comes together."

The extension provides continued leadership for Fresno State Athletics as the Bulldogs begin competition in the Pac-12. Klassy will oversee the department's transition while continuing to prioritize the student-athlete experience, competitive success and sustainable growth across all sports.

"We are just getting started," Klassy finished with. "Joining the Pac-12 gives Fresno State an incredible opportunity, but membership alone does not define success. We have to continue building our programs, our facilities, our revenue model and the student-athlete experience at a level worthy of Fresno State and the Valley. This place has enormous potential, and our job is to turn that potential into something sustainable and special."

Fresno State Athletics

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