Report: MAC votes Sacramento State into leauge as football-only member

According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, the MAC has voted to add Sacramento State into the league as a football-only member. Sacramento State is making the jump up from the FCS level and doing so right away.

Dellenger adds the Hornets will begin playing in the league this upcoming season. On3’s Pete Nakos has since confirmed the report.

“MAC presidents today approved for the league to move forward with the addition of Sacramento State as a football-only member, sources tell @YahooSports,” Dellenger said via X. “The school will pay an entry fee of $18 million. Finalization of the deal is imminent. Hornets will begin play this season.

“The move is somewhat historic in nature: Sacramento State becomes the first West Coast university (California, Oregon, Washington) to move its football program from FCS to FBS in 57 years (Fresno and San Diego State in 1969).”

Sacramento State began playing football in 1954 but did not join the Division II ranks until 1973. Two decades were spent there before gaining Division I status as an FCS member in 1993. The climb now continues for the program, getting a shot to play at the sport’s highest level. And their home will be considered the MAC.

The Hornets last season were under the guise of head coach Brennan Marion, who is now the Colorado offensive coordinator. A 7-5 overall record came after going 5-3 in Big Sky play, missing out of the FCS Playoffs.

Since Marion left, a coaching search had to take place ahead of the 2026 season. Alonzo Carter is now in charge, coming over from Arizona. Carter served as the assistant head coach and running backs coach in Tucson. He is now leading Sacramento State through one of the more important periods of the team’s history, jumping into the FBS.

As for the MAC, the number of football members once again sits at 13. Sacramento State is essentially replacing Northern Illinois, which left for the Mountain West Conference. There will be some geographic hurdles to overcome with this move. Outside of Sacramento State, the MAC’s furthest West team is Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, MI.

To this point, no schedules for the 2026 season have been released by the MAC. But the news on Saturday night indicates that Sacramento State will be a part of the equation. Another big move in the world of college football conference realignment, continually changing the sport’s landscape.