Sacramento has what it takes to be an exciting part of the Pac-12’s next chapter | Opinion
Sacramento is home to an amazing, culturally-diverse community, booming businesses and a rich history. California State University, Sacramento is the largest university in the CSU system, with a student population of more than 30,000, and an athletic department that won seven National Collegiate Athletics Association championships just last year.
Yet, until now, Sacramento State has played in the second tier of college football, the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and the other athletic programs compete in the Big Sky Conference, a collegiate athletic conference, affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I.
The time has come for Sacramento State — and our entire community — to level up to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and to a premier conference like the Pacific-12 (also known as Pac-12).
In an effort to put our Hornets on the map and bring a national spotlight to collegiate sports in Sacramento, I helped start the SAC12, a new committee and campaign focused solely on elevating Sacramento State athletics to the Pac-12. Our goals have been met with vigor and commitment from the Hornet nation and the Sacramento community.
The momentum is palpable: The SAC12 has been out in the community working diligently to raise over $35 million for a name, image and likeness fund (Division 1, high-level athletes get paid for their name, image and likeness to play collegiate sports by school collectives). In order to recruit the best players and be competitive, school collectives need to have funds to pay players.
CSU Sacramento has also announced a new state-of-the-art football stadium that will host more than 25,000 fans and become home to premiere sporting events of all kinds. The SAC12 is calling on all local businesses, cities, counties, tribes and other institutions to contribute.
The newly unveiled stadium renderings are beautiful — a symbol of the bright future we’re all building together.
The university, which is responsible for the stadium, has not yet released or announced the cost of the stadium or the exact sources of funding. There will be no direct cost to the community to switch conferences (any costs incurred due to realignment fees would be paid by the university’s athletic department).
This isn’t just about Sacramento State joining the Pac-12, it’s about the Sacramento community coming together to achieve another great step forward.
Just this week, the Sacramento Kings offered to partner with CSU Sacramento to host the university’s basketball games at the Golden 1 Center, a partnership that elevates another aspect of Hornet Athletics and a testament to the unity and passion of our community.
Sacramento will be a host city of the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and with the partnership with the Kings, a new conference and increased money for student-athletes, CSU Sacramento would be well positioned to play at home during March Madness.
I have seen how sports can bring this city together — the Kings’ resurgence re-electrified Sacramento. Now, we’re rallying again for another win for the community: Bring Hornet Athletics to a Power 5 conference and show the world that Sacramento is a sports town with big fans and a competitive spirit to match.
CSU Sacramento deserves to be on the national stage, and the SAC12 campaign is showing the world that we’ve got the drive, the talent and the community support to make it happen. I’m not just talking about athletics; it’s about building on our progress to further Sacramento’s status as a cultural, academic and economic powerhouse.
Joining the Pac-12 will mean millions of dollars of new revenue for our university and business community. It’s good for students, residents, workers and, frankly, the Pac-12.
Sacramento has what it takes to be an exciting part of the Pac-12’s next chapter.