Fresno State is launching a new marketing campaign that emphasizes the university’s connection to the Central Valley and its role as the “Pride of the Valley.” The campaign centers around a 30-second television commercial, which will make its national debut during Fresno State’s football season opener against Kansas on August 23, airing on FOX. An extended version of the ad has already been released through digital channels as part of the brand refresh.
The ad features narration by Manuel Olgin, Jr., a Fresno State alumnus and founding member of the university’s Chicano Alumni Club. Olgin states in the spot, “Pride is a powerful force. Pride inspires us. Pride fuels us. Pride propels us. Pride is community, it’s care, commitment and courage …” Olgin and Tony Garduque started Fresno State’s Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration in 1977; this event will mark its 50th anniversary in 2026.
The commercial includes scenes of students hiking in Yosemite National Park and highlights Fresno State’s proximity to three national parks: Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. It also showcases student research activities, local agriculture projects, music and theater programs, business ventures, and youth sports camps hosted by the university.
Athletes featured in the ad include sophomore running back Bryson Donelson and Murf Gray, who was named Mountain West baseball co-player of the year before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in July.
Local businesses with ties to Fresno State are also spotlighted. The Annex Kitchen restaurant features its corn agnolotti dish made with Fresno State sweet corn. The Red Wave Light Lager craft beer was developed through a partnership between Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. and alumnus Michael Cruz.
“In this Valley, we’ve never been afraid of an honest day’s work,” says Olgin in his voiceover for the ad. “In this Valley, it’s always we over me. So when we speak of pride, that’s how we define it. It’s family, loyalty and tradition. It’s resilience, compassion and love. It’s anybody, anytime, anywhere. It’s who we are. It’s ingrained in our DNA, and it’s why we will forever be the Pride of the Valley.”
Fresno State is starting its 115th academic year on August 20 with more than 24,000 students expected to enroll and over 256,000 living alumni.
In 2024, Fresno State was ranked No. 22 by Washington Monthly among top universities nationally—a list that includes Ivy League institutions as well as Stanford University and MIT—based on factors such as social mobility, public service efforts, and research output (https://washingtonmonthly.com/2024college-guide/national). This marks nine consecutive years that Fresno State has appeared in Washington Monthly’s top 40 rankings; it remains both the only California State University campus on that list and the only school from either the current Mountain West or future Pac-12 Conference (which Fresno State will join in July 2026).
The university plays a significant role in promoting social mobility within Central California; about two-thirds of its students are first-generation college attendees while others continue established family traditions at Fresno State.
