By Mark Pszonak
It has been difficult to keep up with all the conference realignment in recent years. Now it has been announced that Sacramento State is ready to make the leap to FBS status, even though they don’t have a conference to leap to.
Sources: Sacramento State plans to file an application with the NCAA this week to transition from FCS to FBS in football. They plan to do so as an independent. The school has already filed a waiver to transition as an independent in football, which requires NCAA approval. pic.twitter.com/DanhpQALEO
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 2, 2025
The Hornets have not been bashful over the last year regarding their plans to make this leap. They had hoped for an invitation from either the Mountain West Conference or re-invented PAC-12, but with that yet to become a reality they have instead decided to make the move as an independent.
Without the formal invitation, Sacramento State will need a waiver from the NCAA to make the move. If approved, which is expected to happen, they would play one more season in the Big Sky Conference before transitioning to the FBS for the 2026 season.
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The school announced plans for a new 25,000 seat stadium in October, with hopes to do the same for basketball in the near future. They have also been extremely aggressive, and supposedly successful, with their NIL fund raising, raising upwards of $35M to date.
Leading the charge on the football field will be head coach Brennan Marion, who while only on the job for a few months, has taken an equally aggressive recruiting approach. And that approach has led to success, with the Hornets signing the top FCS class in the country in February, while also bringing in several FBS transfers.
While many programs are considering slashing programs due to the changing college sports landscape, Sacramento State is taking an entirely different approach. Only time will tell if it is the correct one.
