Tark was honored by Fresno State President Joseph Castro, his former players, as well as family members in a brief but touching ceremony. Many spoke about Tarkanian's impact on every community where he coached.
Fans lined up -- some for even an hour -- to get free tickets to the commemoration and the basketball game that followed.
"I think he was a great figure in basketball. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see him, but I look back on history and see the great things he did," said Dave Ellalobos of Fresno.
The celebration for Coach Tark's life continues on Sunday in Las Vegas at the Thomas and Mack Center. That event is open to the public.