Стадион «Bulldog» во Фресно: История и Особенности

Outdoor football stadium in Fresno, California, USA

Valley Children's Stadium, At that time, there were only two stadiums in the Fresno area, Ratcliffe and McLane, which made scheduling of local football games difficult. A stadium steering committee was established in 1977, led by local businessman Leon Peters, looking to make the project a reality. An initial round of construction bids came in over budget and the steering committee re worked their request. A second round of bidding offered better results and the local Robert F. Fisher Company was awarded the construction contract. Bulldog Stadium was completed in September 1980, a few months ahead of schedule, and had a seating capacity of 30,000. It hosted the California Bowl from 1981 to 1991 and friendly soccer matches prior to the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Bulldog Stadium enjoys a reputation of having one of the premier home football environments among universities outside of the so called "power conferences". Tailgate parties in the adjoining parking lots and athletic fields are an enormously popular pastime for Bulldog supporters and the fans are notable for their enthusiastic support within the stadium's environment. For several decades, supporters of Fresno State football have been nicknamed "The Red Wave" as a tribute to their swell of support and their tendency to be clad entirely in red clothing for home contests. For most of Fresno State's history, Bulldog Stadium is at its loudest when Fresno State plays their traditional arch rival, the San Jose State Spartans. However, in recent years, Fresno State's most bitterly contested games have been pitted against the Boise State Broncos, whose success in the Western Athletic Conference, and then in the Mountain West Conference when both teams joined, has contributed to a fierce and energetic modern rivalry.

Bulldog Stadium is constructed in a modern version of the sunken "bowl" style, with seats situated unusually close to the game action and at a steeper slope compared to bowled stadia of the early 20th century. This intimate atmosphere contributes to a louder, more intense gametime experience. Field lighting is mounted on four unique, recognizable cantilevered standards. Fresno State's Bulldog mascot is depicted at midfield in an enlarged style. A green and red "V" appears at the 25 yard line as a tribute to the agricultural community of the San Joaquin Valley. The "V" matches the design worn on the back of the players helmets. The field was notable for having numerical markers every five yards (similar to the field at Louisiana State's Tiger Stadium) rather than every ten yards, as is typical. The field went back to the conventional ten yard markings in 2009.

For its first 31 seasons, the playing field was natural grass; infilled FieldTurf was installed in the summer of 2011. Concerns arose when winter rains saturated the field in the season prior, making for very slick field conditions. The $1.2 million project was funded entirely through private donations. The artificial turf was replaced in 2019 when it reached the end of its life span.

The field was named for longtime head coach Jim Sweeney (1929–2013) in a 1997 ceremony. Local children's hospital Valley Children's Healthcare agreed to provide the Fresno State athletics department with $1 million annually over 10 years in exchange for the naming rights of Bulldog Stadium. The consulting agency formed by alumni brothers Derek and David Carr played a pivotal role in the negotiations of the deal. Referring to the deal, Derek Carr said both organizations are "leaders in the Valley" and that "this partnership just made so much sense to us." The stadium renaming became official in July 2022 via a vote by the CSU Board of Trustees and it faced a backlash on social media, with some area residents saying Valley Children's is "squandering funds" and others lamenting the addition of more advertising to the in person stadium experience.