Sacramento State President Reaffirms Commitment To FBS Football For 2026

The Sacramento State Hornets have been seeking a viable route from the FCS to the FBS for the last handful of years, riding a huge wave of financial support from fans and the city of Sacramento.

One potential route for the Hornets was to make the move as an FBS independent, which required NCAA approval of a waiver, as schools making the move usually have to have a new conference lined up. That waiver was denied on Monday by the NCAA.

On Monday, Sacramento State University president Dr. Luke Wood reaffirmed the school's commitment to playing FBS football in 2026 in a post to X that stated the following:

"Sacramento State has met every meaningful benchmark for FBS membership, and we believe our university, our students, and the entire Sacramento region deserve major college football. We’re full steam ahead and we still plan to be playing FBS football in 2026."

For months, Sacramento State have been the subject of speculation with regards to expansion of both the Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference. However, neither league has extended a formal invitation.

Last week, Sacramento State announced that 20 of their 21 programs will join the Big West in 2026. The Hornets' football program will play the 2025 season as a member of the Big Sky Conference, but currently do not have a conference set up for the 2026 season.

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