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A college football program is seeking to make the jump from the FCS to the FBS. ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reported Wednesday, per sources, that Sacramento State plans to file an application with an NCAA to make the transition.
Sacramento State is reportedly seeking to start the transition as an FBS independent, positioning itself to later join a conference. The program would first be eligible for the postseason in the 2027 season.
Even as an FCS program, Sacramento State made some headlines in recent months. The program was in discussions with Michael Vick about its head coaching position. Vick ended up taking the Norfolk State job, while Sacramento State hired former UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
One of Marion’s first transfer additions was former SEC wide receiver Agiye Hall, a top-50 recruit out of high school who started his career playing for Nick Saban at Alabama before transferring to Texas and later UCF. Marion was Hall’s position coach at Texas in 2022 on Steve Sarkisian‘s staff.
Thamel’s report notes that Sacramento State has made some notable moves when it comes to coaching hires and NIL deals.
Sources: Sacramento State plans to file an application with the NCAA this week to transition from FCS to FBS in football. They plan to do so as an independent. The school has already filed a waiver to transition as an independent in football, which requires NCAA approval. pic.twitter.com/DanhpQALEO
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 2, 2025
By transitioning as an independent, Sacramento State is positioning itself for FBS conferences. The reason for a waiver is because they aren't transitioning with a conference invite. The school sits in a Top 20 media market and has been aggressive in hiring coaches and in NIL.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 2, 2025
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
