Sacramento State to Join MAC, Move to FBS in 2026 for $23M

Sacramento State’s football program has been accepted into the Mid-American Conference as a football-only member and is set to move from the FCS to the FBS beginning in 2026, with outlets reporting an $18 million MAC entry fee plus a $5 million NCAA transition charge for a combined $23 million cost. “A formal deal is expected to be made public in the coming days, per ESPN's Pete Thamel,” multiple national outlets reported, while KCRA wrote, “Sources confirmed to KCRA 3's Michelle Dapper that the football program has been accepted into the Mid-American Conference (MAC).”

The financial commitment is the highest-profile element of the transition. Sports Illustrated reported, “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.” KCRA summarized the toll as a single figure: “The move also brings a hefty price tag for the university, as the total cost of entry is expected to cost Sac State $23 million.” CBS Sports added that Sacramento State has been preparing on the NIL front with a budget “north of $1 million,” signaling institutional spending beyond entrance and transition fees.

Athletic leadership and coaching shifts arrive alongside the conference jump. CBS reported the school hired Arizona assistant Alonzo Carter on Dec. 15; Carter is a first-time head coach who “has spent the last eight seasons working under Brent Brennan at both San Jose State and Arizona” and brings California recruiting ties after starting as a high school coach in the state. CBS also noted former coach Brennan Marion departed to join Deion Sanders’ Colorado staff as offensive coordinator.

On-field logistics already show FBS scheduling and opponents for 2026: multiple programs have announced games versus Sacramento State including Tarleton State, Maine and North Alabama, and the Pac-12 schedule release lists Sac State facing Fresno State in Week 2. Conference realignment context matters: Northern Illinois is departing the MAC for the Mountain West, and outlets report the MAC will continue with 13 members with Sacramento State filling a vacancy created by NIU’s exit.

Sacramento State’s recent on-field performance figures into the calculus but is reported inconsistently: CollegeSportsWire referenced a 7-4 season plus an additional road loss to Nevada, 20-17, while Sports Illustrated and CBS both list a 7-5 overall mark with a 5-3 Big Sky record. KCRA reported the conference presidents “reportedly voting formally to add Sacramento State into the league beginning this year,” language that conflicts with other outlets’ explicit 2026 start date and highlights items that still require confirmation from the MAC and Sacramento State.

The move places Sacramento State amid a broader FCS-to-FBS wave, with Sports Illustrated noting North Dakota State is also making the leap to the Mountain West next fall. For the Hornets, an $18M conference entry fee, a $5M NCAA transition payment, new head coach Alonzo Carter and announced 2026 opponents mark the most consequential institutional and competitive shift in program history.