Battle for the Valley
The Fresno State–San Jose State football rivalry, also known as the Battle for the Valley is a college football rivalry between the Fresno State Bulldogs football team of California State University, Fresno and the San Jose State Spartans football team of San José State University. The two teams currently play annual, regularly scheduled contests as Mountain West Conference (West Division) opponents.
San Jose State Spartans
| |
| First meeting | November 19, 1921 San Jose State, 14–2 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | November 11, 2023 San Jose State, 42–18 |
| Next meeting | October 26, 2024 |
| Trophy | Valley Trophy (2013–present) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 86 |
| All-time series | Fresno State leads, 44–39–3 |
| Trophy series | Tied, 5–5 |
| Largest victory | Fresno State, 63–12 (1999) |
| Longest win streak | Fresno State, 12 (1991–2005) |
| Current win streak | San Jose State, 1 (2023–present) |
Since 1921, Fresno State and San Jose State have shared conference affiliation in numerous athletics conferences including the California Coast Conference, Far Western Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association, Big West Conference, and the Western Athletic Conference.
The rivalry is likely rooted in the two schools' relatively close proximity to one another in the state of California. The city of Fresno is located approximately 150 miles south of San Jose. Both institutions are also members of the California State University system.
Additionally, Fresno State and San Jose State are both located in geographical valleys. Fresno is located in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley while San Jose is located in the Santa Clara Valley, which is now more widely known as Silicon Valley. The locations of the two schools account for the names Valley Cup, Valley Bowl and the Battle for the Valley.
As of 2023, Fresno State leads the series 44–39–3.