Sacramento State Set to Join MAC As Football-Only Member

Sacramento State is set to join the MAC as a football-only member beginning this fall.

The conference formally voted to add the program in 2026, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The cost of entrance into the MAC will be $18 million and is expected to be finalized “in the upcoming days.” Sacramento State will also pay a $5 million fee to the NCAA to move up a level of competition.

Sacramento State is the second school to make the jump from the FCS to the FBS, joining North Dakota State, which is joining the Mountain West beginning next fall as well.

Sacramento State’s entrance into the MAC will keep the league at 13 teams after Northern Illinois previously accepted an invitation to play in the Mountain West beginning in the 2026 football season.

The Hornets went 7–5 last season, which included a 5–3 record in Big Sky play.

More College Football from Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.