“Basically, we’re trying to look like a Cadillac on a Chevrolet budget,” Boeh said.

The athletics budget is about $30 million, below that of the 65 universities playing in the five richest conferences, which received preliminary approval from the N.C.A.A. last week to rewrite rules in their favor to basically allow their universities to spend more money on the athletes who fuel their programs. More than a dozen universities have athletic budgets of $100 million or more.

A significant court ruling on Friday, one of many cases that may upend the tradition of amateurism in college sports, could lead to more compensation for players — something that Fresno State, with 225 athletic scholarships, probably cannot afford to match.

“Does this become business as usual, where you do what you can to keep up?” Boeh asked. “Or is there a critical point where some institutions say we don’t want to play in this game anymore? To date, I haven’t heard of any institution say, ‘We’re not going to do all we can to stay competitive.’ ”

Boeh cited 54 construction or renovation projects in his tenure. Outside the low-slung, concrete-block athletic department offices, backhoes rumbled in a patch of dirt that will become home to another department building next to an aquatic center that opened three years ago.

“You have to continue to move forward,” Boeh said. “The moment you decide to stand still, the rest of the industry goes by you very quickly.”

Fresno State has an admirable history of on-field success. It plays in the Mountain West, against universities like Boise State and San Diego State. Its football team was 11-2 last season, its men’s basketball team is on the rise, and its baseball and softball teams have won national championships in the not-so-distant past. Thanks largely to its relative isolation in California’s vast Central Valley, Fresno State has the full attention of a rapturous fan base.

But what if universities in the Big 5 conferences begin to offer stipends, or upgrade health insurance or allow greater access to agents? Can universities like Fresno State, and conferences like the Mountain West, afford to follow? Can they afford not to?