Sacramento State’s Only Shot at MAC Revenue: Make the CFP

When Sacramento State agreed to join the Mid-American Conference in football next year—and jump from the FCS to the FBS level—the Hornets agreed to not only pay the MAC millions of dollars in entrance fees, but also to forgo conference revenue over the lifetime of the five-year deal. 

But there is one way they can earn a portion of conference distributions: if they earn a bid to the College Football Playoff.

The MAC has agreed to offer Sacramento State an unspecified “College Football Playoff participation fee” if they earn a bid to the lucrative postseason, according to the memorandum of understanding signed by the school and the MAC, which FOS obtained through a public records request.

The CFP offers prize payouts to every team based on how far they advance in the bracket; this past year, schools earned $4 million for making the tournament, $4 million for advancing to the quarterfinals, $6 million for advancing to the semifinals, and $6 million for advancing to the championship. The CFP sends the funds to the conferences, each with its own distribution policy. The ACC, for example, has recently begun allowing schools to keep all the money they earn—Miami raked in $20 million for its championship run. Other conferences, like the Big 12, however, take the money and distribute it equally among the programs. 

The opportunity won’t come for at least two years, however, as the Hornets won’t be eligible for postseason competition until at least 2028 (unless they get a waiver from the NCAA). When they do, they may be facing an increasingly steep set of competition; starting in 2026, the 12-team playoff allows seven at-large slots, one slot for each of the four power conference champions, and only one for the top-ranked Group of 6 conference program. That could change as playoff expansion discussions continue. However, the Group of 6 likely won’t be able to negotiate additional guaranteed slots and would instead have to get into the field through at-large bids awarded through overall rankings.

It’s unclear how much money the Hornets could earn—but any amount of money would be significant given the steep price they’re paying to join the MAC. Sacramento State has committed to paying $18 million total over the next five years, with the first $6 million due this April, according to the MOU. They’ll also owe an annual participation fee of $75,000, which increases by 4% each year, as well as a bowl game fee of $130,000 per year (which each school pays). The Hornets have agreed to forgo all conference revenue, including media rights distributions, and will pay for all travel expenses for visiting football teams.

Additionally, the MAC will have to pay a $5 million FBS application fee to the NCAA.