FCS program is making ‘aggressive effort’ to join FBS conference, per report
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If Sacramento State gets its way, there will soon be another football program joining the FBS ranks.
According to a report from Yahoo!’s Ross Dellenger, Sacramento State is “aggressively” pursuing admission into an FBS conference. The report says multiple conferences have heard the school’s pitch and at least one league — the MAC — is “believed to be exploring the possibility.”
Per Dellenger, Sacramento State’s offer includes paying a $10 million entry free and foregoing league revenues. The change could come as soon as the 2026 football season. The MAC has not yet revealed its schedule for this upcoming fall.
Sacramento State has invested heavily in its football program in recent years, even landing multiple power-conference transfers over the past couple of cycles. The Hornets also have a new head coach in Alonzo Carter, who was previously a top assistant at Arizona.
Numerous FCS programs have made the jump to FBS in recent years. The most recent examples are programs like Delaware, Missouri State and Kennesaw State.
It’s unclear when a final decision on Sacramento State’s FBS bid will be made. Barring admission into the MAC, the Hornets are slated to participate at the FCS level as an independent in 2026.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
