MAC Exploring Possibility of Adding West Coast FCS Program

The league is reportedly considering going bicoastal.

Sacramento State has eyed bigger and better things in football for years. | Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The MAC is no stranger to teams on the East Coast, having hosted Massachusetts, Temple and UCF at various junctures of its existence, but a new frontier could be on the horizon for the league.

According to a Friday afternoon report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports, the MAC has discussed the possibility of adding Sacramento State.

The Hornets, members of the Big Sky since 1996, have made significant public (and, reportedly, behind-the-scenes) noise in recent years about moving up to FBS. Sacramento State has invested heavily in an NIL budget and made its first four FCS playoff appearances in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Per Dellenger, the Hornets’ overtures to the Mountain West and Pac-12 have been rebuffed, but the MAC has been intrigued. Longtime MAC member Northern Illinois is scheduled to leave for the Mountain West this coming season.

Sacramento State is scheduled to join the Big West in most sports in the 2027 academic year. The Hornets, provided no conference affiliation materializes in the coming months, will become an FCS independent in football.

In 2025, Sacramento State posted a 7-5 record, nearly knocking off FBS Nevada on Sept. 6. The Hornets are scheduled to open the 2026 season—as of now—on Sept. 12 against Fresno State.

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