Many of those have been at schools (i.e. Roanoke College) whose declining enrollment may start putting the survival of the Schoo itself at risk. They are hoping to better compete for a declining college-age demographic. They have to try almost anything. The jury is still out on whether any enrollment gains will be lasting; the early studies (i.e. University of Georgia) say probably not, but still up in the air. Not sure that any have been done on improvement in campus spirit. Articles that tout the benefits are mainly on football websites, so definitely biased.

Other places like UTRGV, or University of Rio Grande< I think it's cultural...that football is a necessary part of the college experience. My grandson would agree; he's on a full academic scholarship, completely unrelated to financial need at CSUDH and is hoping to transfer to USC to better experience Trojan football. Which he does already...hasn't missed a home game in two years. Glad it's my son and daughter-in-law who will foot that bill.

And your point about them being lower level is well taken. I bet few of those schools are putting big bucks into facilities, or coaching staffs, or athletic scholarships. So maybe it's a capital risk with little downside. Many are using local high school facilities (which they rent per use); others like Whittier,. (UCD played them back in the day...it was my first road trip) may be using facilities that are still on campus.

Regardless of level. new programs face immense financial pressure - expenses for coaching salaries, facilities, equipment , and travel. And that's the rub - anyone who drills down into athletics will tell you that the basic problem in college athletics is not revenue. It's spending. And new football programs will be a new line item expenditure, taking resources that could be used elsewhere. At some point, if you're on a Board of Trustees, your fiduciary responsibility kicks in. If the new football programs don't produce the desired outcome within a short period of time, I don't think most of them survive.

Just my opinion.

You may “not [be] opposed with creating football programs at UC Merced, UC San Diego, etc.”, but I’m pretty sure those campuses have zero interest. Riverside and Santa Barbara dropped their FB programs decades ago for financial reasons; Riverside seriously considered cutting ALL athletics a couple of years ago for the same reason. Irvine, San Diego and Santa Cruz have never shown any interest in football. Merced is working to grow what little they have into competitive programs.

Football is the single most expensive program to maintain, let alone initiate, and bring up to par with UCLA and Cal. Most athletic departments already operate at a deficit, including all 7 of the UC campuses that compete in D1. While I doubt that either UCLA or Cal are ready to do so, my bet is that five years hence, there’s likely to be fewer college football programs than there are now. Highly doubt there will be more.

Then they need to upgrade to an intelligent AI platform.

Below are the first two bullets from the game recap on the UCD website. Great examples of the absolutely atrocious writing we’re continually treated to. Don’t even get me started with what’s wrong with them.

The first period was a defensive battle, with both teams putting 15 points each on the board.

After seeing Epps take the first six points of the contest, the Roadrunners responded with back-to-back buckets to push them up 13-6.

Embarrassing! If athletics is the “front porch” of the university, shouldn’t our web pages demonstrate that we employ the kind of competent, educated, people that UCD supposedly graduates?

The Ags grind one out in Bakersfield. Nya Epps carried the offensive load, then Norris got going in the second half to help out. Neither Bennett nor Sussex got in the groove, which is typical of games where we struggle - seems we need 3 of the 4 hitting, or it’s a slog. Baker scored 5 in the 1st quarter, but was quiet the rest of the way.

Also good to see Tsami and Baker get some points off the bench.

An interesting post, like many in this thread that are focused on the future of college athletics. I completely agree with you that the collegiate athletic environment has changed quickly and drastically. I also agree that it’s become more of a financially driven business than a culture-building program within a university. Unfortunately, the business model the power conferences and others are pursuing is unsustainable. We all know that.

But, regarding your post, I don’t see a “California Conference” being more than an intriguing blog post. The schools on your list are too diverse in the following areas:

1 - Mindset / Culture
2 - Disparity of facilities
3 - NIL/Booster $$

None of those will conceivably change within the next decade.

She's had therapeutic tape on the back of her knees all year. Most games she seems to play through it, but she's been a non-factor a couple of times.

For a while only Sussex was getting rebounds. I thought Theoni Tsami looked the best she has all year. I'd almost like to see her get a start at the 4, which I think is her natural position, and bring Young off the bench to back up Norris.

Well that was a truly awful outing. UNC certainly was decent, but if the Aggies even brought their B game, I think we would've won. UNC did have the kind of physicality that UCD always seems to struggle with. We're like a ballet troupe trying to dance in the mosh pit.

Remember hat when these guys came to Sac, the mantra was, "One year can change your life." These guys apparently feel that last years showed they are worth more than Sac can offer to a higher level program than the Hornets.

Last season obviously changed things for the guy who recruited them. Why not them?

Yeah, I assumed it would be a paid announcement, and was wondering about the cost. My post was definitely vague on that point. :>(

What would it take to have a promo for AST on the scoreboard in UCU Pavilion during basketball games this season?

And maybe a CBS?

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/47247619/college-athletic-directors-collective-bargaining-ncaa-future

The next private equity domino...

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/47267088/utah-private-equity-college-sports-otro-capital

No argument. But my point was how Marions sees his position.

If he comes in and significantly improves the offense, which I think he has a good chance of doing, Marion positions himself to either succeed Prime, or get a position at another school that's better than anything Sac State could achieve within the same time period..

Colorado was 111th in Total Offense, 91st in Pass Offense, 103rd in Rushing offense and 114th in Scoring Offense in 2025. The Hornets had more yardage in all categories than Colorado (even with a terrible passing QB) and averaged more points per game.His UNLV offenses were also more productive.

Agree with the grow his brand and the potential conflicts. And given Deon's recent health issues, does Marion see himself as head coach in waiting?

I don't think it was a money issue (as per Dr. Wood). I also think he didn't see 4 games growing hs brand.

Great article. Light is a great example of a UCD athlete who is also a serious student, and who is connected to the greater campus community. I think most UCD athletes are similarly connected , and equally value their education. At least those that I chat with at games.

I hope Davis never lets that dynamic slip away.

Posts like the Matt Zenitz one seem to fall into the "It's a slow news day and I need to post SOMETHING...ANYTHING" category. The only legit possibility in Zenitz's post is Troy Taylor because he's the only one currently without a job in football.

Until Sac St. has a full schedule, say a minimum 8-9 games, it's not going to be a desirable destination for prospective head coaches, assistants or players. Sac State is a stepping stone, which even Dr. Luke Wood acknowledges. A team with a 4-game schedule isn't going to help anyone climb the ladder. I think the lack of a full schedule and the obvious difficulty in filling out a schedule are the biggest reasons Brennan Marion left.

Hey, Carter could co-star with Lil Yachty at a post-game concert!

Seems so. What a mess!