Mountain West unveils national football TV package for Fresno State. Where are Bulldogs?
Fresno State football fans who have grown accustomed to watching the Bulldogs from the comfort of home might have to make their way to the stadium in 2024.
The Mountain West released its national television schedule on Thursday and among its 49 games, Fresno State had only five selected by conference partners CBS Sports Network and FOX networks. The Bulldogs have one other TV game, but the six nationally-televised games at this point are the fewest they’ve had in a full season since 2017, when they were coming off a 1-11 season and also had six televised.
Fresno State played 11 of its 12 regular-season games on national TV last season with nine as part of the Mountain West’s national package. The Bulldogs also played games at Purdue on the Big Ten Network and at Arizona State through the Pac-12. Their 12th game was at home against Eastern Washington and was televised by Univision, the first college football game in history to be broadcast on Spanish-language television.
In 2022, all 12 of the Bulldogs’ games were on national television, including 10 that were part of the conference’s national TV package. In 2021, Fresno State had 10 games on national TV including eight that were part of the Mountain West package and two other games that were televised locally.
It is possible a third-tier provider will pick up and broadcast more Mountain West games this season - in 2017 the Bulldogs had four games on AT&T Sportsnet, though that network was not available in California. Additional broadcasts through regional and local networks will be announced later, according to the conference.
The Bulldogs do open at Michigan on Aug. 31 in prime time on NBC. The CBS Sports Network will televise Fresno State games at Nevada on Oct. 18 and against Colorado State on Nov. 23, as part of the Mountain West national TV package, and FOX Sports networks have a Sept. 28 game at UNLV on FS1, an Oct. 12 game against Washington State and Nov. 9 game at Air Force.
But home games on Sept. 7 against Sacramento State, Sept. 14 against New Mexico State, Oct. 26 against San Jose State and Nov. 2 against Hawaii are not on television at this point. Fresno State last played a home game that was not available on national or local television in 2019, against Sacramento State.
A Sept. 21 game at New Mexico and the Nov. 30 regular-season finale at UCLA also have not been picked up yet for national or local television broadcasts.
Fresno State did have one game moved to a Friday to accommodate TV - the match up at Nevada.
All six of its home games will be played on a Saturday, though kickoff times have been set for only one. Fresno State will play Colorado State at 7:30 p.m.
FOX, which picked up the Bulldogs’ game against Washington State at Valley Children’s Stadium, usually sets kickoff times and outlets (FS1, FS2) during the season, with a 12-day window. The others are to be determined.
Fresno State since a pandemic-shortened season in 2020 has been featured often through the Mountain West’s national television package, appearing 27 times including 15 times at home. Only San Diego State and Boise State have had more games as part of the conference package the past three years.
This season, the Broncos and Aztecs remain the top televised teams in the conference with 10 and nine games as part of the Mountain West package, and Air Force this season also has nine.
UNLV, which was 9-5 a year ago and won more games than it had in the past three seasons combined (7), picked up the most games. The Rebels have seven national TV games through the conference, up from four in 2023.
Nevada, which was just 2-10 a year ago, has seven games as part of the conference TV package. It had five in 2023.
FRESNO STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 31 - at Michigan, 4:30 p.m., NBC
Sept. 7 - Sacramento State, TBD
Sept 14 - New Mexico State, TBD
Sept. 21 - at New Mexico, TBD
Sept. 28 - at UNLV, 12:30 p.m., FS1
Oct. 12 - Washington State, TBD, FOX networks
Oct. 18 - at Nevada, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN
Oct. 26 - San Jose State, TBD
Nov. 2 - Hawaii, TBD
Nov. 9 - at Air Force, TBD, FOX networks
Nov. 23 - Colorado State, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN
Nov. 30 - at UCLA, TBD
