A Courtside Seat for Bulldog History

For 60 years, Pat Ogle has witnessed the evolution of Fresno State athletics and what it means to students, alumni and the community

By Eddie Hughes (’05) and Victoria Cisneros (’19, ’21)

While music, food and fashion have helped shape student life on campus for decades, perhaps nothing has captured the hearts of students, alumni and the community quite like Fresno State athletics. For those who are Bulldog born, Bulldog bred, sports serve as the vehicle to keep people engaged with campus year in and year out.

To gain insight on the evolution of Fresno State sports, look no further than Pat Ogle, who served as executive director of the Bulldog Foundation’s annual fund from 1982 to 2009 and continues to work part-time as a development officer to this day.

After graduating from Fresno State in 1965, Ogle worked in TV broadcasting for 17 years before returning to his alma mater as a fundraiser for the athletic program. From emceeing donor events with his signature voice and unique ability to connect with the audience, to rallying the Red Wave each year during fund drives, Ogle has had a courtside seat to the rise of the Bulldogs, and helped the Bulldog Foundation grow into a multimillion dollar fundraising arm.

“I’m almost a lifelong resident of the San Joaquin Valley,” Ogle says. “I have a 60-year association with Fresno State as a student, as a donor, as a volunteer and as an employee. I grew up like many people in the Valley do — with Fresno State as a real focus.”

Fresno State Magazine caught up with Ogle to get insight into what it is about Fresno State athletics that creates such a palpable energy on campus and in the community.

Fresno State Magazine: With that 60-year viewpoint, you’ve seen a lot of milestones from this program. How has athletics evolved over the years?

Pat Ogle: At one point in the ’70s, the community leaders said, ‘We want Fresno State to be as good as it can be, and we think athletics is a front porch to the whole university.’ And so the Bulldog Foundation started raising funds to pay for student-athlete scholarships and recruiting. That kicked off the interest, and it has continued to grow over the years. Most of our residents have that mentality of really wanting to get behind something. Fresno State is fortunate in that it’s the only major, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football-playing institution in this huge area of Central California. People who enjoy athletics, who want to feel like they’re supporting something, can attach themselves to Fresno State. And they certainly have over the last five generations.

FSMag: Can you tell me a little bit about how Fresno State athletics has changed over the years?

Ogle: Well, another wonderful fact about the people who support Fresno State athletics through donations or through just interest and being a fan and coming to an event, is that most of them have a real broad-based interest. And so, as they contributed dollars for scholarships or for recruiting or for special projects, most of the facilities around here have been built by donations.

FSMag: What are some of the highlights across Fresno State athletics over the years?

Pat Ogle (left) is presented the National Association of Athletic Development Directors’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 by Jack Lengyel, former Fresno State director of athletics.

Ogle: There are certainly legacy markers out there. You have the Freedom Bowl in football, the National Invitation Tournament in basketball in Madison Square Garden in New York, a national championship in softball, a national championship in baseball. Those are real high watermarks. And there are all the conference championships. Another key point is our student-athletes, just like most of our population on campus, stay in the Valley after their graduation. And so half the former student-athletes are out there coaching or being fans and helping organize. We talk about the pride of the Valley, we talk about the Green V Society of recognizing agriculture. All of those are marketed throughout this wide, wide area.

FSMag: What do those moments mean? How do they bring us together?

Ogle: Well, after the legacy moments, there have been parades, and you don’t get parades at the college level very often. From the Fresno airport to the campus after the NIT championship in basketball in ’83, after the softball championship in ’98, after the baseball championship in ’08, people lined the streets to welcome back their Bulldogs. That just shows, not only are they coming to games, not only are they watching, not only they’re bringing their young children to games for them to become Bulldog fans, but they have a real heart for the program.

FSMag: Tell me about the Red Wave and where that nickname for the fan base came from.

Ogle: When the program started to take off because of the support we had, many of our sports, including men’s basketball, would have people travel, especially to other California destinations to attend games. And one of the big trips was going to San Jose to play the Spartans. We had busloads of people. We had more people at the San Jose State game than they did. One of [The Fresno Bee’s] big writers at the time, Ron Orozco, in his story said it was like a Red Wave going over Pacheco Pass. That just took off. It’s this wonderful representation of people not only donating and supporting, but going on the road to events.

FSMag: What do you think it says about the folks who are part of the Red Wave, who are willing to travel, who are committed to this university and to supporting the Bulldogs?

Pat Ogle (left) is presented the 2009 Bulldog Foundation lifetime bronze Bulldog by Coleman Barnes, former assistant athletic director for advancement.

Ogle: The majority of Fresno State fans are definitely using their time, their treasure and their talents to support their Bulldogs, and they are willing to do the donations necessary. They are willing to go on the road to support away because they really enjoy it and they have the heart for it.

FSMag: What does Fresno State athletics mean to this community?

Ogle: For most of us, we look for joy in our life. We look for fun in our life, and that’s what Bulldog athletics can bring to an individual or a donor or their family. They can come to competitions, and they can know that when we have national success, ‘Hey, I’m part of that success.’ I think that’s what drives most Bulldog fans. They’re having fun, they’re finding joy and they are supporting a wonderful university that is unique.

FSMag: What can someone expect in terms of atmosphere when they go to a Fresno State athletics event?

Ogle: Bulldog sports really is a special event no matter what sport you’re talking about, because most of our sports are very well attended and the atmosphere is really special. Even if it’s a crowd of 100, or it’s
a crowd of 10,000, or it’s a crowd of 40,000, because everybody has that Bulldog spirit and they are really involved in being part of that particular game or match.

FSMag: What makes our region special in that sense?

Ogle: Maybe it’s more about the uniqueness of these types of events in the Valley. We don’t really have [major] professional teams. A football game in terms of the scale is pretty unique for this region. People who have an interest in athletics can look to Fresno State, and they know that’s where they can enjoy that. Even if I didn’t attend the school, I live in the Valley, I have pride in the Valley, and I’m going to support the Bulldogs.

— Eddie Hughes is senior editor for Fresno State Magazine. Victoria Cisneros is a marketing and communications strategist. Matt Mealer, senior video producer, also contributed to this story.

Top Photo: There are few people, if any, who have had a front-row seat for as many milestone moments in Fresno State athletics history as Pat Ogle, who served as executive director of the Bulldog Foundation’s annual fund from 1982 to 2009 and continues to work part-time as a development officer.