• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Local Committee Is Attempting to Propel Sacramento State Into the FBS

  • The trickle-down effect of Pac-12 expansion has already hit the FCS.
  • A local committee called the “Sac-12” is hoping to help Sacramento State into the Pac-12 or Mountain West.
Sep 16, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver (25) celebrates after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium.
Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

A group of community leaders in Sacramento are trying to take advantage of an unprecedented opportunity provided by the news of the Pac-12’s expansion.

On Friday, a slate of Sacramento local politicians and business leaders launched an executive committee called the “Sac-12,” aimed at propelling Sacramento State from FCS to FBS football through an invite from either the Pac-12 or Mountain West. Front Office Sports first reported the news of the committee’s formation Thursday.

The announcement comes just one day after the two-member Pac-12 said it would add four Mountain West schools (Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Colorado State) to the conference in 2026. The conference will look for at least two more members so it can maintain FBS status. The Mountain West has four schools to replace.

The committee includes California State Senator Angelique Ashby, California State Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, Sacramento City Council Member Eric Guerra, as well as several business leaders and former San Francisco 49er and Sac State alum Otis Amey. 

In a media release, the group touted what it believes are some of the school’s biggest selling points: “The Sacramento State Hornets, currently members of the Big Sky Conference, won seven conference championships in 2023, reside in the 20th largest media market in the country and with a student population of over 30,000, are the fourth largest university in the Cal State System,” they wrote. “If added to the Pac-12, they would make up the largest media market in the conference.”

The campaign is independent from the university, a spokesperson for the campaign told FOS. But in a statement to FOS, a spokesperson for Sacramento State athletics said: “It’s exciting to see key members of the Sacramento community celebrating the success of the Sacramento State Athletics program and sharing their interest in helping shape the vision of the future. It makes us proud to be part of such a wonderful, supportive community, and we will continue to support our student-athletes at the highest levels possible.” 

It is unknown whether the Pac-12 or Mountain West has mutual interest in the Hornets. In an interview Thursday, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould told FOS it was too early to comment on which schools the conference may be looking at, though she’d consider adding more than just two programs.

Sacramento State certainly fits some of the broad criteria laid out by the Pac-12 in public comments Thursday, including geography, university culture, and media value. But it would face a long road compared to other candidates for either the Pac-12 or Mountain West, given it would have to undergo a formal, two-year transition process through the NCAA from FCS to FBS. The application fee was recently raised from $5,000 to $5 million, and there are strict requirements related to scholarship allowances. Schools also can’t apply unless they have an invitation from an FBS conference.

The school would ultimately have to prove it could compete at the next level. This year, the Hornets’ football program is ranked 11th in the FCS. Its total athletic department budget in 2022 was $35.9 million, according to USA Today, with $21.2 million deriving from university funds. The median Mountain West budget for that year, by comparison, was $50.4 million, according to the Knight-Newhouse database.

The move isn’t impossible, however. One recent success story: James Madison, which joined the Sun Belt in 2022 and made a bowl-game appearance in just its second year in the league. But the Dukes were already one of the best football programs in all of FCS football, regularly trading championships with North Dakota State. The Dukes have also been spending with the intention of transitioning to the FBS for more than a decade.

“We understand the transition from FCS to FBS takes time and commitment, but the university, the athletes, coaches and supporters, are ready to compete at the highest level, and the university and community are ready with the support and resources to get the Hornets there,” the campaign’s spokesperson said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.
exclusive

Zohran Mamdani Blasts World Cup Ticket Prices: ‘FIFA Is Becoming the Scalper’

The NYC mayoral candidate wants FIFA to cap resale prices at face value.
NFL Congress
exclusive

College Sports ‘House of Cards’: Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to..

Several House Republicans criticized the SCORE Act on social media.

Sling TV’s Day Passes Spark Another Sports-Centric Legal Battle

The disruptive programming options generate a second lawsuit in as many weeks.

Featured Today

Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
September 7, 2025

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
The cover of the College Football 25 video game.
exclusive

Group That Facilitated NIL Deal for Football Video Game Now Says It’s..

EA offered $1,500 and no royalties; it also deleted an opt-out clause.
September 7, 2025

Oklahoma-Michigan Was a Battle of Dueling QB NIL Philosophies

Bryce Underwood got into a heated exchange with his teammate.
Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls place kicker Nico Gramatica (7), South Florida Bulls long snapper Turner McLaughlin (48) and teammates celebrate after a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
September 8, 2025

USF Is the Newest Financial Underdog in the AP Top 25

USF’s athletic department brings in half the amount Florida does.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and linebacker C.J. Hicks (11) shake hands while leaving the field following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. Ohio State won 14-7
September 6, 2025

How Ohio State Rebuilt Its NIL Strategy in the Rev-Share Era

The Buckeyes are staying “aggressive” in the new NIL landscape.
September 5, 2025

NIL Go Corrects Its Data From $80M in Deals Cleared to $35M,..

It’s another bump in the rocky rollout of the new NIL clearinghouse.
September 5, 2025

NCAA Headed Toward Single Football Transfer-Portal Window

A new winter window would run Jan. 2–11.
Arch Manning
September 4, 2025

NIL Go Says It Has Cleared $80 Million in NIL Deals So..

NIL collectives, however, say the majority of their deals are in limbo.