LEARFIELD Executive Vice President Deana Barnes sits down with Fresno State Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy and Utah State Vice President & Athletics Director Diana Sabau to discuss the impact of conference realignment on revenue generation opportunities as both institutions prepare to enter a reimagined Pac-12 Conference in 2026.
Sabau and Klassy offer insight into the strategic thinking and action items each department has tapped into as they prepare to kick off a new “challenger brand” alongside the restructured Pac-12, with Sabau noting that the Aggies took a hard look at ticket pricing and have prioritized “future proofing” the department via NIL opportunities and innovative partnerships. Sabau: “I am really engaged with the energy of our fanbase, of our donors, of our investors who believe and they want Utah State to be as competitive in the Pac-12 as we have been in our previous conferences. Utah State has a long lineage of conference memberships, so this integration is very important to us.”
Meanwhile Klassy dives into the regionality of Fresno State’s footprint and opportunities for cross-campus collaboration when it comes to revenue generation. Klassy: “We control our destiny when it comes to the storytelling piece and that becomes our brand value.”
The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).