New Fresno State athletics director introduced as revenue generator Bulldogs need

Fresno State introduced Garrett Klassy as its next athletics director on Friday, pushing his background in development and revenue generation that will play well as he takes on the titanic challenges of badly-needed facilities upgrades and navigating the constantly shifting dynamics of college athletics.

“I think with the hire what we will see is strategic entrepreneurship on the one hand and then on the other hand we will see someone who gets down to work and reaches out to people and brings them into this movement of supporting a vision that makes sense,” university president Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said.

“Garrett is very quick on his feet, but he’s also very grounded in what he wants to do. He’s not afraid of change. He’s not afraid of challenges. He’s very much aware of what’s happening nationwide. He’s very much aware of the potential changes that will come to us in the future,” Jiménez-Sandoval said. “So, how do we do two things: One, prepare for (changes) ahead of time so that we are safeguarded? Two, how do we react to (changes) appropriately once they do come?””

Klassy, who comes to the San Joaquin Valley from Houston where he was a deputy athletics director and chief revenue officer, will take aim at expanding philanthropy and creating new revenue streams and revenue sources.

In his one year at Houston, athletics more than doubled the number of donors making major gifts to more than 80 from 35. There are potential and untapped partnerships with local businesses and multimedia rights. Klassy also mentioned the power of athletics communications departments pushing student-athletes, programs and their brands, which is a strength of an understaffed Fresno State athletics department.

“We have to put together a plan that has measurable goals to hold us accountable on how to move forward, and the business model is changing,” said Klassy, who starts July 23. “You can’t just rely on season tickets and donations any more. For us to be better, we have to be aggressive in finding new revenue streams, whether that is going into facilities or whether that goes into recruiting, retaining and developing student-athletes.

“There is some great data out there that shows college athletics departments monetize 45 cents on the dollar to what professional teams are doing. Now, those are private business models and you’re working under a climate of higher ed. There are different policies and procedures, so you’re never going to get to 100%. But the reality is you can always do more.”

Klassy — who signed a 5-year contract for a still-undisclosed amount — said Fresno State would be creating a strategic plan with an approach more like a professional sports franchise in monetizing opportunities to their fullest potential.

Despite success on the playing field, the Bulldogs have seen revenue slip, in large part due to cuts in institutional support. The department also is well behind other California State University schools that compete in the Mountain West Conference in revenue generated from student fees: The athletics department at San Diego State receives around triple and San Jose State double compared to Fresno State.

But the Bulldogs also are stuck in the middle of the conference in revenue from ticket sales and donations. The Bulldogs ranked only fifth at $12.3 million in 2022-’23 and only sixth in donations at $5.8 million, according to a database of college athletics revenues and expenses maintained by Sportico.

At the Friday event introducing him, Klassy invoked two Fresno State legends in a packed press conference in the Josephine Theater.

“We plan on setting the standard in everything we do,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a great history here and it was coach Jim Sweeney who said failure is only a temporary setback, and you know what, he’s right. We’re going to take some chances here and we’re going to swing and miss once in a while, but we’re going to learn from those mistakes and we’re going to move forward and get better because of it.

“We’re also going to have the mentality of coach Pat Hill. I mean, his famous saying, we’re going to play anyone, anywhere, at any time. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to have the same tenacity. We’re not going to back down from anyone.”

Financial terms of the contract were not yet available, but the salary range for the position is expected to be between $350,000 and $400,000. Former athletics director Terry Tumey had signed a two-year contract extension in February 2023 with an option for a third year that was worth $390,000 a year.

“There’s obviously a ton of opportunities and challenges right now in college athletics,” said Klassy, who grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. “We’re in a new era of college athletics, whether it’s NIL, the House settlement, conference realignment or just general legislative changes.

“But I view those as opportunities. If we think differently and attack these challenges head on we’re going to come out ahead of our peers and be more competitive. We’re going to tackle them and we’re going to embrace it. We’re going to think differently, with a business mindset. We’re going to make difficult decisions, bold strategic decisions that ensure the success and growth of Fresno State athletics.”