Sacramento State joining MAC as football-only member in 2026

After years of lobbying to become an FBS member, Sacramento State has finally been admitted into an FBS conference.

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has voted to add Sacramento State as a football-only member beginning in 2026 with an expected $18 million cost of entrance into the conference. A formal deal is expected to be made public in the coming days, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The $18 million entry fee into the MAC isn't the only charge that the Sacramento State program will have to chalk up, as there is also an additional $5 million fee to the NCAA for moving up from the FCS to FBS.

The Hornets went 7-4 playing at the FCS level a season ago, with another loss coming to Nevada on the road, 20-17.

Meanwhile, Western Michigan (9-4) won the MAC last season, taking down Miami (Ohio) (7-6) 23-13 in the conference title game. Now, with Sacramento State's move to the MAC for football in 2026 and beyond, the conference will continue with 13 members, as Northern Illinois departed this offseason for the Mountain West.

All of Sacramento State's other sports will remain in the Big Sky Conference.

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