College Football Program Reportedly Spending $23 Million to Join New FBS Conference

In the latest wave of realignment sweeping college football, Sacramento State will vault from the FCS to the Football Bowl Subdivision, accepting an invitation to become a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference beginning with the 2026 season, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The Hornets’ elevation carries a steep price tag: an estimated $23 million. That figure includes an $18 million entrance fee owed to the MAC and an additional $5 million required by the NCAA to complete the jump from the Championship Subdivision to the sport’s top tier. Once the transaction is finalized, Sacramento State will become the 138th program competing at the FBS level, setting a new all-time high for membership in the subdivision.

The move comes only weeks after North Dakota State’s surprise departure from the FCS to the Mountain West, a transition that cost the Bison roughly $20 million. Sacramento State’s decision further illustrates the accelerating pace of conference realignment and the willingness of athletic departments to shoulder multimillion-dollar buy-ins for greater visibility, enhanced television revenue, and elevated recruiting appeal.

Sacramento State’s path to the FBS hit a roadblock last year when the NCAA denied the university’s waiver to compete as an FBS independent, leaving conference affiliation as the only viable route upward. By securing a spot in the MAC, the Hornets resolve the uncertainty that has hovered over the program since that denial. As part of standard NCAA reclassification protocol, the Hornets will be ineligible for the conference championship and bowl games during the first two seasons of the transition.

Founded in 1951, Sacramento State has competed in the FCS since 1993 and has emerged as a consistent contender in recent years, making four playoff appearances in the past six seasons. The program’s 2025 campaign was led by head coach Brennan Marion, whose wide-open offensive attack quickly became a hallmark of Hornets football. Marion left in December to become Colorado’s offensive coordinator, prompting Sacramento State to hire Arizona running backs coach Alonzo Carter as his replacement. Carter, who previously built successful programs at both the high-school and junior-college levels, now inherits the task of guiding the Hornets through their historic move to the FBS.

While the football program heads to the MAC, Sacramento State’s other varsity sports will begin Big West competition next season, a shift announced last summer. The geographic fit places the Hornets alongside UC Davis—an in-state rival already entrenched in the Big West—while the football team will log significant travel miles to meet MAC opponents spread across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.

The MAC’s expansion to 13 football members for 2026 was made possible by Northern Illinois’ forthcoming exit to the Mountain West, balancing the ledger after the Huskies announced their own departure earlier this year. With Sacramento State on board, the conference retains an even scheduling slate and adds a program that has demonstrated recent on-field success and institutional ambition.

For Sacramento State, the $23 million investment represents more than a simple change of address; it is a calculated gamble that greater exposure, increased media rights distributions, and heightened recruiting cachet will offset the hefty upfront cost. The Hornets will begin their FBS era under Carter’s direction, hoping to replicate the momentum generated during their final FCS seasons while adjusting to the heightened competition and travel demands inherent in their new conference home.