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Report: Another New Team Set To Join FBS In 2026

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Feb 14, 2026 10:31 PM ET

Last week the North Dakota State Bison stunned the college football world by announcing their move from the FCS to the FBS. Today, another team is set to follow them there though with far less fanfare.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) is set to formally add Sacramento State as a football-only member starting this coming season. Per the report, Sacramento State will pay an $18 million entrance fee with the deal expected to be announced soon.

"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," Thamel wrote on X.

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
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 15, 2026

The Buzz Around the Hornets

Sacramento State will replace Northern Illinois in the MAC. The Huskies are set to join the revamped Mountain West in 2026. The addition of Sacramento State to the FBS also increases the number of teams from 137 to 138.

But while North Dakota State are widely expected to thrive in their new FBS home, expectations are probably going to be tempered a little more for Sacramento State. While they boast one of the larger student bodies in college football, rivaling some FBS schools, they haven't exactly dominated in FCS the way the Bison did.

In three decades as a Division I school, the closest they've come to winning a national title is the three-season tenure under Troy Taylor from 2019 to 2022. The team went 30-8, won their conference title and made the FCS playoffs each year that he was in charge.

Sep 16, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets players pose for a photo after the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports© Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

But after Taylor departed for an ill-fated tenure at Stanford, the team saw two straight head coaches depart for greener pastures without surpassing eight wins.

Sacramento State's new head coach, Alonzo Carter, now has the weight of the higher expectations as an FBS head coach to deal with. And he has to do so with a roster that went just 7-5 last year.

Will Sacramento State struggle to win as FBS newcomers this season?

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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