The Wonderful Co. is placing Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos and Pom Wonderful on the uniforms of all 18 Fresno State athletic programs under a five-year agreement announced Aug. 7, an unusual move for a fresh produce marketer and said to be the largest corporate partnership in the school’s athletics history.
Each program will carry a patch representing one of the three brands, splitting a single corporate portfolio across different teams rather than putting one logo everywhere. Wonderful Pistachios also will have its logo on the field at Valley Children’s Stadium for home football games.
“There is no more natural partner for Fresno State than The Wonderful Company, whose impact on the Central Valley extends far beyond the products it grows and markets,” said Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, president of Fresno State. “For decades, Wonderful has invested in the people, communities and future of this region, strengthening the Valley and improving lives. Together, we are creating lasting opportunities and investing in the next generation of leaders.”
Garrett Klassy, Fresno State director of athletics, added, “A traditional jersey patch sponsorship would not reflect the scale of our shared ambitions. By bringing together Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos and Pom Wonderful across all 18 Bulldog programs, we have created something truly distinctive in collegiate athletics. This partnership celebrates iconic brands grown in the Valley while creating meaningful new opportunities for our student-athletes and our university.”
Advanced produce marketing
Wonderful has long spent heavily to build produce brands, surpassing $1 billion in marketing investment across its portfolio a decade ago with campaigns built on television and in-store point of sale. Jersey patches represent a different channel, and the multi-brand structure lets the company test three distinct products against different audiences within one sponsorship.
Fresno State is entering the Pac-12 this year, which raises the national visibility of every broadcast the patches appear in. The agreement also extends into EA Sports College Football, putting the patches and field branding in the video game.
Beyond uniforms, the deal covers game-day signage, sampling, concessions, hospitality space, campus events and retail locations where permitted. Bulldog Sports Enterprises, the athletics department’s multimedia rights partner, facilitated the agreement. An annual away-game tailgate with Wonderful Pistachios and the Fresno State Alumni Association begins Sept. 4 at USC.
Central Valley roots
“At the heart of this partnership is a shared belief in the future of the Central Valley and the people who call it home,” said Andy Anzaldo, COO of corporate social responsibility at The Wonderful Co. “Our Wonderful Pistachios, Pom pomegranates and Halos mandarins are grown right here, and our owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, have invested in this region for decades.”
The Resnicks and their foundations have contributed more than $2.5 billion in philanthropy globally, including more than $850 million in the Central Valley. Their prior Fresno State support includes the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union, which opened in 2022. Nearly 400 Wonderful College Scholars attend Fresno State this year out of 1,200 nationally.
The Wonderful Co. is a privately held global agriculture company whose brands also include Fiji Water, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, Teleflora and Justin, Lewis Cellars and Landmark wines.