College football program offering $15 million to join new conference

The Sacramento State Hornets have been making a major push to make the jump from the FCS level to the FBS level over the past couple of years.

They took a swing at joining both the new-look Pac-12, which consists of a handful of former Mountain West programs along with Oregon State and Washington State. They also tried to join the Mountain West Conference, but both attempts were unsuccessful.

According to a Friday report by Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger, the Hornets may have found a possible suitor in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

"In deep discussion with the California-based FCS school for more than a week now, MAC executives are reaching the point of a final decision on a move that would bring a windfall to current member schools." wrote Dellenger. "Sacramento State’s entry fee is expected to be more than $15 million."

This is a great sign for Sacramento State, which actually filed to play an independent FBS schedule this past season, but found itself denied.

Sacramento State Hornets players pose. — Sacramento State Hornets players pose for a photo after the game against the Stanford Cardinal. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

If the move does go through, Sac State's football program would be the only sport that is a part of the MAC, as the other sports within the program will participate in the Big West.

While the Hornets didn't necessarily have a tremendous year this past season under Brennan Marion, they did have plenty of success under Troy Taylor. The now-former Sac State and Stanford coach led the Hornets to three Big Sky championships, while also advancing to the FCS quarterfinals in the 2022 season.

As pointed out by Dellenger, the Hornets would be the second FCS program in the last week or so to make the leap to the FBS level, joining North Dakota State who is set to join the Mountain West.

"If a deal is struck, Sacramento State would represent the second such FCS-to-FBS move this month, following the Mountain West’s acquisition of North Dakota State last week — also a pricey decision," Dellenger wrote. "NDSU is paying $12.5 million to the Mountain West and another $5 million in a standard FBS entry fee."

Although Sac State missed on its top two options, which made more geographical sense, they clearly have not given up on the dream of taking their program to the next level. The move would also help answer some scheduling questions for Sac State, as they currently have just seven games on the docket in 2026.

It may look unusual, but the sport is still feeling the aftershock of the collapse of the Pac-12 as a Power 5 conference.