it was already previously announced that the students would pay at least half of the 5 mil NCAA transfer fee and sac only has to pay 6 mil in year 1 to MAC and then 3 mil a year for the next 4 years. Dr wood and Orr later specified that student fee earmarked for academics wouldn’t be used but that implies that student fees earmarked for athletics could/would be used.

With game guarantees and major increases to game revenue, Wood put it simply: “Football is paying for football.” — BlueGoldAg

The game revenue is the head-scratcher.....

Where in the hell is he getting 975M from? Like that number mixed with the 600 million number doesnt seem realistic in the slightest. — Jdur

He pulled it straight out of his backside.

“By 2028, I absolutely expect us to be competing for a conference championship and playing in our first bowl game,” Wood said.

LOL. Good luck, buddy. Enjoy going 5-7 year after year in FBS just like you went 5-7 year after year in FCS.

that's one of the few statements i agree with Dr. Wood on. I can easily see them getting to a winning record in the MAC and qualifying for one of their bowls. Last year, 5 MAC'ers went to a bowl. With the expanded college playoffs coming, there should be even more lower level teams going.

Though with the expanded play-off system and the number of teams or players that decline to play in the other bowls, I think some of those college bowl games are fading away. I think the Los Angeles Bowl announced that last year was their last game. Someone, somewhere may try to fill the void, but college bowls may be a dying event.

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2025/12/23/college-football-bowl-game-system-dying-on-life-support/

Bowl game sure. I was referring to playing for the conference championship within a couple years. They've done nothing outside of 4 Troy Taylor seasons in their history so why moving up to a harder league are they then going to compete for a conf championship right away? I mean, maybe they will. But I doubt it.

Commentary on the deal, brief.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU3UBWBjdKL/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Pretty much sums up our thread on the subject.

5 reasons to worry about Luke Wood’s $23M Sac State-MAC football deal | Opinion

https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article314778931.html

I'll try to cut & paste later today, but as agalum noted, pretty much sums up our comments over the past months.

[quote]5 reasons to worry about Luke Wood’s $23M Sac State-MAC football deal

Opinion By Tom Philp and LeBron Antonio Hill
February 23, 2026 5:00 AM[/quote]

Sacramento State has finally made it to college football’s elite level, the Football Bowl Subdivision, but only after reportedly agreeing to pay a huge price: $23 million.

So many questions linger about the deal the university made with the Mid-American Conference.
That is because the university has chosen to remain silent about many of the details. Simply put, there are many more questions than answers about what university President Luke Wood and Sac State just did.

Here are five reasons why the public should be skeptical:

Sac State is slow to provide the details

Wood’s agreement with the MAC is a public document for this public university, a formal agreement between this institution and another.

Yet, to our knowledge, nobody has been allowed to see it yet.

The university’s news release mentions an external economic analysis of this pact, which estimates tens of millions of dollars in benefits to the university, including increased exposure and game day revenue. But for now, the analysis remains top secret.

Separately, Wood on social media has said that various analyses are complete on how to convert the horse track and grandstand at Cal Expo into the Hornets’ new stadium. Again, no release of new and important information.

The university delays the inevitable by funneling requests for the documents under the California Public Records Act through a portal process that can take weeks and even months.

How can the institution get a historic deal done, one that changes the trajectory of the university, and not have public information at the ready

[quote]$23 million in fees, and $11 million due soon?[/quote]

North Dakota State, previously a second-tier team like Sacramento State in the Football Championship Subdivision, recently worked out a similar deal as Sac State to climb into the FBS. The Bison reportedly agreed to pay $12 million to join an FBS conference, the Mountain West.

The MAC apparently is requiring an all-too-willing Sacramento State to pay 50% more, $18 million. If you factor in the $5 million fee levied by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the total tab hits $23 million.

Paying MAC teams to travel to Sacramento

For lesser FBS teams like Sacramento State, a tried-and-true way to make some money is to play a superior team from another conference on the road. In exchange for the likely victory, the home team pays a so-called “guarantee” to the visiting team, often an amount exceeding $1 million.

Normally, this is an important revenue source for a college football team to offset expenses. Not for Sacramento State, however. The Hornets have agreed to pay off the $12 million balance of that $18 million entrance fee to the MAC with these guarantees.

This appears to be a first in college football history: a team volunteering to give up this key revenue source. It only adds to the mystery of how the university can afford what it’s doing.

Paying MAC teams to travel to Sacramento

On top of all these millions in new entrance payments, there is another new cost.

As yet another price of admission into the MAC, Sac State is apparently on the hook to pay the full travel costs of visiting teams, unfamiliar names in these parts like the Akron Zips, Central Michigan Chippewas and Kent State Golden Flashes.

These costs for a single game routinely run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Where is the campus support?

In all the testimonials gathered by the university to support the Feb. 16 announcement, there was an abundance of elected officials, alumni and business leaders.

Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article314778931.html#storylink=cpy

Note: The public comments to this article are all critical ranging from "release the documents today" to Replacement of Woods is in order" to "Can't wait to see the Hornets in Ypsilanti!"

I just don’t know what ‘economic impact’ means.

Sounds lucrative, doesn't it?

This should really pump up the home game attendance! :yikes:

[What Happened to the Group That Promised Sac State $50M in NIL?

The “Sac-12” has new leadership committed to offering financial support to Sacramento State—but not the $50 million originally dangled.

BY AMANDA CHRISTOVICH
FEB 19, 2026 | 01:50 PM

Sacramento State isn’t expecting that $50 million, given that donors promised those commitments only if they got the Pac-12 invitation, Sacramento State president Luke Wood told Front Office Sports in an interview Wednesday. But he isn’t concerned about its loss.

“Our community right now is rallying behind us,” he said, adding that “some of those commitments have already translated anyways even before we announced the MAC. So we’re starting to see those dollars come in already.”

Whole article here:

https://frontofficesports.com/what-happened-to-the-group-that-promised-sac-state-50m-in-nil/

"Economic impact" refers to the net changes in economic activity within a region resulting from some action or project. In hindsight it may be measurable to some degree if confounding variables can be accounted for...something almost impossible to do in the real world.

A projection of economic impact is basically a "wild-eyed guess" ( voodoo economics term approved by the noted economist George H. W. Bush who originated the Voodoo Economics Field) intended to convince the dumb schmucks footing the bill for the project that they would actually reap enormous financial benefit that would more than compensate them for their increased taxation.

You are correct that it does sound lucrative, and anyone who passed up such an opportunity would be foolish.

I never said it sounded lucrative -> that was SocherField's sarcastic reply!

I don't have interest in reading the report (which seems to be in dispute), but that seems like a very big number! Out of town fans flooding the hotels to watch Akron? Local TV/radio contracts skyrocketing? Just seems like a bit of a stretch, but, what do i know.

I stand corrected; and apologies to SochorField for falsely attributing his comment to you. :worry:

Note: I was being facetious. :smile:

Sac is going to make so much money on this....they should have a big beautiful stadium in no time. The economic impact from Sac State football will change the region forever. It will put the NBA franchise up the street to shame. The Kings might get pushed out.

Sac announced their non-con schedule for 2026:

09/05 – Mississippi Valley State
09/12 – at Fresno State
09/19 – North Dakota State
11/28 – at Hawaii

NDSU at home is a coup, jealous of that at least. I assume our NDSU series will not happen now.

https://fbschedules.com/sacramento-state-unveils-2026-non-conference-football-schedule/

Gotta say, their non-conference schedule is much more exciting than ours but the Big Sky is much more exciting than the MAC in my opinion.

Thanksgiving weekend in Hawai'i isn't a bad way to end the season.

Full schedule for Sac:

Sacramento State
8.29 – at Eastern Michigan
9.5 – MVSU
9.12 – at Fresno State
9.19 – North Dakota State
9.26 – *UMass
10.10 – *at Bowling Green
10.17 – *Ohio
10.24 – *at Ball State
10.30 – *Kent State
11.4 – *Toledo
11.11 – *at Central Michigan
11.28 – at Hawaii

Good luck getting people excited for that home slate outside of NDSU

https://getsomemaction.com/news/2026/3/24/2026-mac-football-schedule-released.aspx

I think the August game at Eastern Michigan is a conference game.

The joys of MAC scheduling: Oct. 30 game against Kent State is a Friday game. Then against Toledo five days later for a Wednesday game followed by another Wednesday game the following week at Central Michigan.

but, but someone here said there was only one midweek game each year. Crazy that they were mistaken! (Tongue firmly in cheek)

Hi Dr. Mike - I was wrong. One road midweek game per year. Good chance both WILL be on national TV though.

And glad the Kent State game is on a Friday, and not on Halloween night Saturday. Still going to be screwed for attendance on that one anyways....

Here's how the teams on Sac's 2026 schedule did last year:

Eastern Michigan 4-8
Mississippi Valley State 2-10
Fresno State 9-4
NDSU 12-1
UMass 0-12
Bowling Green 4-8
Ohio 9-4
Ball State 4-8
Kent State 5-7
Toledo 8-5
Central Michigan 7-6
Hawai'i 9-4

I would hope to his they are on national TV! just kiddin with you. I really dislike conferences playing on days other than Saturday for TV. I don’t think I ever reached a level of boredom to turn on a midweek MAC matchup in the past - can’t imagine I’ll do that this year.