FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State football announced a six-game scheduling agreement with San Jose State on Tuesday, keeping alive the rivalry between the schools that dates back to 1921. In the longest-lasting series in Fresno State football history, the Bulldogs have a 45-39-3 all-time advantage over the Spartans.
"Fresno State and San Jose State share a rich history that spans over a century, and we are excited to continue this rivalry for years to come," said Fresno State Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy. "The Valley Trophy represents more than just a game—it's a battle between two proud programs with deep ties to their communities. As we transition into the Pac-12, maintaining this historic matchup was a priority, and we're thrilled to secure a long-term agreement that ensures our student-athletes, alumni, and fans can continue to experience one of college football's most meaningful rivalries."
Fresno State will host the Spartans in 2027, 2029 and 2033. The Bulldogs will travel to San Jose State in 2026, 2032 and 2034.
The agreement comes following Fresno State's announced ascension to join the Pac-12, effective in 2026. Fresno State and San Jose State will meet one final time as Mountain West opponents this coming season in San Jose. The schools have previously gone through three conference changes together from the Big West to the WAC to the Mountain West. As Mountain West foes since 2013, Fresno State's win in 2024 gave it the advantage in the series, 6-5. As conference opponents, the Bulldogs are 22-8 in the series.
The Valley Trophy
Introduced in 2013, Fresno State and San Jose State added to its long running rivalry the "Valley Trophy".
The introduction of the trophy coincided with the first season the two teams began sharing league membership in the Mountain West. Prior to the 2019 season, the teams had split time with the trophy, but the Spartans win that season gave them a leg up on the all-time record, 4-3. Fresno State again evened the ownership of the Valley Trophy with a Thanksgiving Day win in San Jose in 2021, and kept it after a win in 2022. SJSU took it back in 2023, but Fresno State has current possession of the Valley Trophy with a 33-10 win over the Spartans last fall.
Why the Valley Trophy? The two schools are separated by only approximately 150 driving miles and represent two distinct valleys. Fresno State represents the San Joaquin Valley, the world's richest agricultural area of export dollars and is known for wearing a green V on the back of its helmets as a symbol to the agricultural community of the Central Valley of California. San Jose State is the metropolitan capital of the high-tech Silicon Valley.
A full list of Fresno State's future non-conference scheduling can be found here.
Six-Game Agreement with San Jose State
Sept. 19, 2026 - at San Jose State
Sept. 25, 2027 - at Fresno State
Sept. 29, 2029 - at Fresno State
Oct. 2, 2032 - at San Jose State
Sept. 24, 2033 - at Fresno State
Sept. 9, 2034 - at San Jose State
