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The Doghouse

Valley Children’s Stadium

Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno, CA, home of Fresno State. Capacity 41,031. Opened November 25, 1980.

Valley Children's Stadium in Fresno, CA
Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CAPhoto: Emedina00, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Capacity
41,031
Opened
1980
Surface
Artificial turf
Roof
Open air
Elevation
336 ft
Home team
Fresno State
Fresno State here
105–⁠43 games on file since 2001

Since it opened: Fresno State is 202–⁠69–⁠2 in home games from the 1980 season on. Our source names a game’s stadium only from 2001, so that count takes every earlier home game not marked neutral and may include a few played elsewhere.

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2001 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Valley Children’s Stadium by season, 2001 to 202620k30k40k50k2001: 42,787 a game over 5 games; biggest 42,8812002: 39,133 a game over 6 games; biggest 41,0312003: 38,603 a game over 6 games; biggest 39,8052004: 37,900 a game over 6 games; biggest 42,6622005: 39,307 a game over 6 games; biggest 42,7812006: 38,551 a game over 6 games; biggest 42,2812007: 36,291 a game over 6 games; biggest 40,6072008: 37,864 a game over 5 games; biggest 42,3872009: 24,702 a game over 7 games; biggest 37,2672010: 34,120 a game over 7 games; biggest 38,4942011: 29,298 a game over 6 games; biggest 33,8712012: 30,915 a game over 6 games; biggest 36,2402013: 36,917 a game over 7 games; biggest 41,0312014: 34,876 a game over 6 games; biggest 41,0312015: 29,036 a game over 6 games; biggest 33,6752016: 25,493 a game over 6 games; biggest 31,8172017: 30,632 a game over 6 games; biggest 39,4472018: 31,503 a game over 6 games; biggest 36,1232019: 31,552 a game over 6 games; biggest 34,7902021: 33,386 a game over 6 games; biggest 41,0312022: 39,067 a game over 6 games; biggest 41,0312023: 39,939 a game over 6 games; biggest 41,0312024: 40,600 a game over 6 games; biggest 41,5752025: 38,030 a game over 6 games; biggest 41,5352026: 40,762 a game over 3 games; biggest 43,086200120062011201620212026

Biggest crowds on file

43,086Boise State at Fresno State2026
42,881Utah State at Fresno State2001
42,881San José State at Fresno State2001
42,881Rice at Fresno State2001
42,881Louisiana Tech at Fresno State2001

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for Fresno State’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Former names
Bulldog Stadium (1980–⁠2021)
Opened
November 25, 1980
Architect
Stevens and Associates
Surface over the years
Natural grass (1980–⁠2010)
FieldTurf (2011–⁠2018)
AstroTurf (since 2019)
Expanded
1991
Record crowd
42,881 (vs Oregon State 2001)

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, Valley Children’s Stadium.

From above

50 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 200 by 200 meters (670 by 660 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Recent games here

Oct 10, 202623Boise State 38, Fresno State 31
Sep 26, 2026Fresno State 38, Rice 24
Sep 12, 2026Fresno State 49, Sacramento State 3
Nov 22, 2025Utah State 28, Fresno State 17
Nov 15, 2025Fresno State 24, Wyoming 3
Oct 25, 2025San Diego State 23, Fresno State 0
Oct 4, 2025Fresno State 20, Nevada 17
Sep 13, 2025Fresno State 56, Southern 7
Aug 30, 2025Fresno State 42, Georgia Southern 14
Nov 23, 2024Fresno State 28, Colorado State 22
Nov 2, 2024Hawai’i 21, Fresno State 20
Oct 26, 2024Fresno State 33, San José State 10

Pouring rights

PepsiCo has the stadium’s soft-drink pouring rights. Official source.