SAC12 sacked; Sacramento State to join Big West in all non-football sports

Sacramento State’s longshot bid to join the Pac-12 is officially over. 

On Wednesday, the Hornets announced that they will withdraw from the Big Sky Conference and join the Big West Conference for all sports other than football in July 2026. Sacramento State will be an independent in football at the FBS or FCS level. 

“The Big West membership and conference staff are excited to welcome Sacramento State to The Big West,” Big West commissioner Dan Butterly said in a statement. “In addition to strengthening The Big West competitively and expanding our geographic footprint, Sacramento State is a staunch advocate for excellence in academics, athletics and service within their community.  The new look Big West promises to bring a new level of competition and friendly rivalry for student-athletes and fans alike.”

Sacramento State athletic director Mark Orr added: “We are thrilled to become a full member of The Big West and are grateful for the invitation. Sacramento State strives to provide our student-athletes the opportunity to be in the best position to be nationally competitive, and The Big West for decades has been a conference that has enjoyed national success in several sports. We are eager to compete for championships, enhance existing rivalries, and develop new relationships with our peer conference members.”

After the Pac-12 added Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State of the Mountain West and Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference last fall, Sacramento State began a public campaign to score an invitation to the new-look conference. 

An NIL organization named the SAC12 claimed to have raised more than $50 million in commitments, pending an invitation to the Pac-12. Sacramento State announced plans for a new football stadium and also made high-profile coaching hires in football (former UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion) and men’s basketball (14-year NBA veteran Mike Bibby). 

Back in April, Sacramento State filed an application with the NCAA to transition from FCS to FBS. According to a recent report from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the FBS Oversight Committee recommended that the Division I Council deny Sacramento State’s waiver. 

“The committee noted a conference invitation is of paramount importance for entering into the reclassification process because the invitation signals an institution’s readiness to enter the process,” the committee said in a statement. Sacramento State does not have a home for its football program.

The Division I Council will meet next week and typically follows the Oversight Committee’s recommendations. If the waiver is denied, Sacramento State will be an FCS independent in football. 

With the addition of Sacramento State, the Big West has 12 members signed up for the 2026-2027 athletics season: California Baptist, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, CSUN, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and Utah Valley.   

The Pac-12 must add at least one football-playing member before the 2026 season to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not compete in football. 

Texas State of the Sun Belt Conference is considered the favorite to become the Pac-12’s ninth member.