Sacramento State Athletics has spent the last decade becoming a department that doesn’t just participate, but pushes. Across the board, the Hornets have built momentum through winning, upgrading and reimagining what their future can look like, and the result is a program that now feels larger, louder and far more ambitious than it did even a few years ago.
“Moving to the FBS is about much more than changing classifications — it’s about embracing the future of Sacramento State. This is a transformational moment for our university, our student-athletes, our alumni and the entire Sacramento region.”— Mark Orr, Director of Athletics
Football has been the clearest sign of that rise. After 30 years in the Big Sky, Sac State is headed to the Mid-American Conference (MAC), taking a bold step from FCS to FBS that reflects both competitive success and institutional confidence. The Hornets have won seven conference titles in football, including three straight Big Sky championships from 2019 through 2022, and they have made four NCAA FCS playoff appearances while spending 50 weeks in the top 25. That kind of sustained success does more than fill a record book. It changes expectations and, maybe more importantly, it changes the mood around a program. You can feel when a team starts believing it belongs on a bigger stage.
But football is only part of the story. Sac State has quietly — and then not so quietly — become a department with depth. Since 2023, seven different Sac State sports have reached NCAA postseason competition (women’s basketball, volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s golf) and the Hornets have collected conference championships at a steady clip across multiple sports. There is also a broader culture of competitiveness within the program, one that has made Sac State a regular presence in postseason conversations and a stronger name in Division I athletics. The growth has not been accidental. It has been built one season, one roster and one ambitious decision at a time.
The timing feels especially significant now. Most Hornet sports are moving to the Big West, giving the department a new conference home and a chance to refresh its identity while football heads to the MAC. Add in facility upgrades, rising visibility and the sense that the university is investing in its athletic future and the picture becomes clear: Sac State is not simply chasing progress anymore. It is building it.
