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Sacramento State football is taking the first step in elevating itself from the Big Sky Conference. And the Football Championship Subdivision in general. The Hornets are officially eyeing the move up the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks.
Sacramento State is getting the paperwork ready to break off from playing FCS ball. ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel confirmed the decision Wednesday — including if the Hornets have a potential conference lined up after the Big Sky.
“Sources: Sacramento State plans to file an application with the NCAA this week to transition from FCS to FBS in football. They plan to do so as an independent,” Thamel said. “The school has already filed a waiver to transition as an independent in football, which requires NCAA approval.”
This means the Hornets won’t join the Mountain West Conference or even the new Pac-12 for 2026. They’ll need to fill a 12-game schedule without conference games if approved. But still, the Hornets are making the pursuit to play in a higher level.
Was Sacramento State considered for FBS before?
This isn’t the first time the Hornets and a possible FBS move surfaced.
Sacramento State became a popular pick among CFB fans for the Western Athletic Conference. The WAC started to dissolve during the first conference realignment cycle of 2010-11. The longtime football conference, however, eventually folded. Past WAC members filled the MWC, Pac-12 (Utah), Big 12 (TCU), even BYU went independent momentarily.
Power brokers in the state capitol then made a pitch for the Hornets to join the Pac-12, per the Sacramento Bee in Sept. 2024. This came after the more recent realignment movement that watched the conference become left with Washington State and Oregon State.
Thamel includes that the Hornets will still play a Big Sky schedule. But here’s what else entails about the potential independency.
“By transitioning as an independent, Sacramento State is positioning itself for FBS conferences,” Thamel shared. “The reason for a waiver is because they aren’t transitioning with a conference invite.”
Thamel adds one more leverage the Hornets hold in attempting to leave the FCS realm.
“The school sits in a Top 20 media market and has been aggressive in hiring coaches and in NIL,” Thamel said.
The Hornets scored two massive hires in football and men’s basketball. Distinguished offensive coordinator Brennan Marion accepted the head football job in December. Marion produced a high-powered offense at UNLV that resulted in back-to-back MWC title appearances. He’s dominated the college football transfer portal by producing the top-ranked FCS class.
Basketball landed former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby as the new head coach. Both moves also will likely add further fuel for the school’s promotion to a future higher conference.
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