It also looks like most of the MAC has a FCS game on their schedule, so unless the NCAA grants FBS membership, like immediately, it doesn't seem like they would able to play those teams if they are still FCS. I must be missing something.

The only thing stopping them from FBS status is the invite. It's technically still possible for the MAC to invite SAC for 7/1/26. It becomes less and less likely by the day though. UNA announced an OOC game with SAC late in the day yesterday.

these days, its damn near impossible to figure out what the NCAA may or may not do!

"The University of North Alabama (UNA) Lions football team has scheduled a game against the Sacramento State Hornets on October 10, 2026."

Sac up to an 8-game schedule, and their coach is grabbing FBS and JC guys.

"Miami true freshman safety transfer Amari Wallace signed with Sac today . 4-star recruit.c

Sac State supposedly offering $10 mil plus forgoing media money for anyone to take them. Where is this money coming from? https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/2019843886999564740

Led by a non-traditionalist president intent on competing in major college football, the university’s athletic department has made significant investments for athletic promotion, even erecting billboards in an attempt last year for an invitation into the new-look Pac-12.

Renovations are planned for its football stadium to reach FBS standards and plans for a new stadium have been in the works. The university last year hired as its men’s basketball coach Mike Bibby, a 14-year NBA veteran, and announced Shaquille O’Neal as the program’s voluntary general manager.

Yes they have plans - one plan to rebuild Hornet Stadium immediately after the 2024 season (https://www.csus.edu/news/newsroom/stories/2024/9/new-stadium-announcement.html) and one plan to open a new stadium at Cal Expo for the 2026 season (https://www.csus.edu/news/newsroom/stories/2025/9/calexpo.html). How is construction coming along on those plans?

Sac State supposedly offering $10 mil plus forgoing media money for anyone to take them. Where is this money coming from? — ucdtim17

Shaq? Indian Casinos...Wilton Rancheria?

Ahhhhh guys I’m as impatient about things as it comes, but I’m a hell of a lot happier to be in the mountain west next year and basically just at our own whim on when we join for FB.

This is getting kind of sad tbh

Constraints breed creativity… apparently.

Well at least they’re putting their monopoly money where there mouth is :).

Sac willing to pay $10 million to go FBS.

https://x.com/FCS_Football/status/2020911506804666502?s=20

Wood reiterated in a Saturday phone interview with The Sacramento Bee that “we plan to play in the FBS in 2026,” though he declined to get into specifics of what conferences he has looked into, how mutual that interest is or how much it would cost or if he has agreed to any particular dollar amount.

Wood would not confirm that if it would be a $10 million sum to move up, as first reported Friday by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, but did say moving up would be a good investment and that the FBS would “be great for our school and Sacramento.”

Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/sports/college/article314616021.html#storylink=cpy

It's done. SAC to MAC.

From a post on the Hornets Forum:

Some information I’m getting from a internal source says : in regards to stadium they are cookin and that as alumni we will be very proud with the upcoming reveal..in their words very very soon for the reveal.

I know it’s vague but there is some excitement that they couldn’t get into with me.

https://bigskyfans.com/threads/the-pac-mwc-dominoes-begin-to-fall-conference-realignment.29863/page-71

Pen is to paper. Announcement this week.

For all sports or just football?

Football only.

so the idea is pay $15M or so and forego conference money from TV?

Yes, $5M to jump to FBS, and $10M to MAC (to be paid out over 5 years, I believe). No conference money from TV for first two years. I believe that's what's on the table. Thought Friday would be possibility of announcement. But everyone I talk to expects an NDSU style leak fest over the weekend, then an official announcement next week.

MAC teams make $800k-$1M/year in media rights deals for football only. Big Sky teams are getting in the 10s of thousands per year right now.

Pen is to paper. — Kadeezy

Others might characterize as crayon to coloring book. But to each their own. This is the equivalent of financing a used Saturn at a West Jefferson car lot. It might get you where you want to go. Or not.

MAC attendance figures are helped by the fact they are close to each other and can easily travel to away games. Sac’s closest conference rival would be Ball State. The Causeway or even Sac-Poly are bigger attendance draws than Sac-Akron or Toledo or Kent State. $15M upfront, plus stadium upgrades, to get $1M per year is a massive gamble.

We were 9th in FCS attendance last year without hosting the Causeway. Our 2025 numbers would place us 6th in the MAC. Getting a 2 for 1 with regional FBS opponents will be possible with FBS status. SJSU, Fresno, and San Diego State will fill the stadium more than Cal Poly or any other BSC school, besides maybe Davis.

Yeah I don't really worry about Sac attendance, I just don't see the draw of MAC schools to be close to playing Mountain West or Pac12 schools. Talking about filling the stadium by playing all these west coast schools is just NOT the reality of what is gonna happen if Sac joins the MAC. I think if Sac is putting up a good season the potential for bowl games, etc will draw well, but the MAC seems like a hard conference to draw fans to considering the conference schools are so far away and not super recognizable to those on the west coast.

It's all about a foot in the door at this point. Before a 5 or 10 year moratorium on new FBS schools hits.

Makes sense. I hope it works out, I really do wish in a perfect world sac and davis would be in the MW together. I worry about the Sac admin's spending and broken/constantly changing goalposts but also think forward looking isnt the worst thing. Its all a bit of a gamble right now, but the position of bein an already established FBS school in future realignment seems like a no brainer. I worry about a g6 split that shuts out FCS members (and hope Davis is already in the MW if that happens).

MAC is an ugly conference top to bottom. Things must be pretty desperate to be begging into this. Zero regional conference matchups. That might be the worst part (along with potential Tuesday night games).
I'm not sure I'm buying the moratorium bit. Seems to be coping for Sac ending up in the worse possible FBS conference on their wish list - the last option basically.

How will Sac's attendance be on Tuesdays?

You drew great numbers against regional opponents with fan bases that will travel to watch. You will not have this in the MAC. Montana brings way more people to a game than Bowling Green or Toledo ever will. In NorCal almost all Big Sky teams have greater name recognition than any MAC school. Nobody outside of Upper Michigan and Ohio are drawn to see these teams.
I honestly wish you luck, but Woods took any move to FBS vs waiting for the right move.