The Mid-American Conference has voted to formally add Sacramento State’s football program as a football-only member starting with the 2026 season, sources including ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Saturday evening.
Sources: The MAC has voted to formally add FCS Sacramento State into the league as a football-only member starting in 2026. The cost of entrance is expected to be $18 million and a deal is expected to be announced in the upcoming days. pic.twitter.com/SpjPVXJiIt [1]
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 15, 2026 [2]
The move comes as part of ongoing conference realignment across college football, with the Hornets making the jump from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. The decision was approved by MAC presidents on Feb. 14, and Sacramento State is expected to pay an $18 million entrance fee to join the league, with an additional $5 million payment to the NCAA to complete its transition to FBS, bringing the total cost to about $23 million.
Sacramento State will replace Northern Illinois University in the MAC’s football ranks, with Northern Illinois departing to join the Mountain West Conference next season. Despite the addition, the MAC will remain a 13-team football league in 2026.
The Hornets will be the first West Coast program to make the leap directly from FCS to FBS in several decades. Sacramento State has competed at the FCS level since 1993 and has a history of success, including postseason appearances. The team competed in the Big Sky Conference but is planning a broader realignment that will see the school join the Big West Conference in most other sports beginning in the 2026-27 academic year. Because the Big West does not sponsor football, Sacramento State secured its FBS home with the MAC.
Sacramento State’s football program went 7-5 last season and put together consistent winning campaigns in the Big Sky, which officials cited as part of their credentials for stepping up to FBS. The Hornets will be led in their first FBS season by head coach Alonzo Carter, who joined the program in recent months.
The MAC move follows broader trends in realignment, as conferences seek to maintain membership size and geographic relevance in a shifting landscape. The Hornets’ addition gives the MAC a presence on the West Coast, roughly 2,180 miles from its nearest current member, Western Michigan.
“We believe our university, our students, and the entire Sacramento region deserve major college football,” Sacramento State president Luke Wood said in remarks made during the school’s previous push to elevate its program.
Negotiations to upgrade Sacramento State’s football program included preparing the university to meet NCAA requirements for FBS competition, including facilities, attendance standards, and financial commitments. The exact schedule for Sacramento State’s first season as a MAC football member has not been released, but multiple opponents have already lined up games against the Hornets, including programs such as Fresno State, Maine, and North Alabama.
The MAC’s decision to approve Sacramento State comes amid other realignment moves, including North Dakota State joining the Mountain West as a football-only member. Northern Illinois’ departure and Sacramento State’s addition reflect the fluidity in league affiliations as conferences and programs reposition themselves.
Sacramento State’s home games will take place at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California, where the team has competed since its establishment. The transition is expected to be announced officially in the coming days, with preparations underway for the Hornets’ entry into FBS play.
The move marks a milestone for both Sacramento State and the MAC. Sacramento State becomes one of the few programs in recent years to ascend from FCS to FBS, following in the footsteps of North Dakota State, which moved to FBS earlier this year with a Mountain West invitation.
Supporters of the Hornets’ transition highlight the significance of the school’s long pursuit of FBS status, while critics note questions about travel distances and costs associated with adding a West Coast member to a Midwestern league. Regardless, Sacramento State will kick off its first FBS season in 2026 under the MAC banner.