The Cincinnati Bearcats arrived at Bulldog Stadium knowing they're in for a tough fight on Saturday. But a date with the best the Big East has to offer hasn't resulted in an early sellout for Fresno State's season opener.
The Bulldog ticket office saw steady business but thousands of tickets are still available.
Fresno State Associate Athletic Director Paul Ladwig expects to see long lines Saturday morning. Ladwig said, "In that last week, in the last 48 hours and in the hours before the game we have a very, very large walkup here at Fresno State. We anticipate that Saturday morning."
Fans at the Bulldog Shop were out to beat the crowd. Game day t-shirts urge the red wave to rise up against Cincinnati, a team that went 12-1 last season.
Bulldog fan Leo Espinosa said, "It's always nice to see a big-time school somebody's heard of instead of a Cal Poly or something like that. I think it attracts more fans."
Some shoppers snapping up shirts are new to the Bulldog experience. Jack Wolfe just moved here from Lubbock, Texas. Wolfe said he was, "Getting some Bulldog gear to support them. Gonna be ready to support them at the game."
If fans get a bit too warm on Saturday they can head to the northeast or northwest sections of the stadium. Ladwig explained, "Both of those end zones will have cooling sections so if you need to go up there and cool off and stand in front of the big fans we encourage you to do that."
The canvas is clear and Pat Hill expects his team to paint a masterpiece.
