Fresno State Athletics lands historic sponsorship deal with the Wonderful Company

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State just announced the largest corporate deal in the school's history. It's a partnership that's said to be worth several million dollars, although the exact amount was not disclosed.

The Wonderful Company and three of its brands: Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos and POM Wonderful are teaming up with Bulldog Athletics so the school can continue to compete in the new world of college athletics.

Ten years ago, it would have been crazy to think jersey patches were becoming the norm in Division I athletics.

Fresno State will now jump on an opportunity several other college programs around the nation have taken advantage of. This season is the first time NCAA D-I teams can display an outside sponsor's jersey patch on uniforms. All 18 Bulldog teams will have a Wonderful branded patch on their uniforms starting this Fall.

Additionally, the Wonderful Pistachios logo will be displayed on both 25-yard lines on the field inside Valley Children's Stadium.



"One of the commitments we made to the Wonderful Company is that we want to make sure their brand was front and center. But there are other areas we can sell. You can sell helmet bumpers now. You can put logos on a crossbar and goal post. You can put logos on field aprons. Some of those aren't sold, so stay tuned for announcements... but we are actively selling." Athletic Director Garrett Klassy said.

The Wonderful Company has deep roots in the Valley. Pistachios, Halos and POM Wonderful are all grown and packed in the Central Valley.

"There was a lot of interest in partnering with Fresno State Athletics. But we didn't want to just partner with anyone. We needed a partner with someone who was authentically: The Valley." Klassy said. "We chose each other - it's a little bit of a marriage here - but we chose each other to create an iconic partnership."

The Wonderful Company is the first company to have three separate brands representing every team in a D1 athletic department.

"Plenty of companies put their names on football teams. Few stand behind every University. Every team, every athlete, men's and women's, across multiple brands of one company."
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Seth Oster said.

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