Sacramento State and Cal Expo in talks to build new stadium. Here’s why
Less than a year after Sacramento State officials announced plans for a new 25,000-seat football stadium, they appear to be pivoting to a new location a short drive from campus.
Enter California Exposition and the recently defunct horse race track at the home of the annual California State Fair.
Cal Expo over the weekend posted an agenda for a board meeting Aug. 28 with one item listed under new business: “Review for Approval-Agreement to memorialize activities for the Sac State Football Stadium.”
In the meeting, Cal Expo’s 11 board members will discuss entering an agreement to open an exclusive negotiating window with Sacramento State to discuss transforming the former race track and Michelob Ultra Grandstand into a multi-use stadium where the Hornets can play their football games and Cal Expo can house one of the largest concert and event venues in the capital region.
In some ways, the two sides are natural partners. Cal Expo has been looking to reshape its business model following the cancellation of horse racing at the State Fair along with numerous local fairs throughout California. Sacramento State, a public university, has been looking to upgrade its football stadium that was built in 1969 and renovated to its current 21,000-seat configuration in 1992.
Cal Expo is roughly 2 miles north of Sacramento State, sitting on the opposite side of the American River and a roughly 12-minute drive from Hornet Stadium. The horse racing facility covers roughly a quarter of Cal Expo’s 360-acre complex and is near Cal Expo’s 15,000 parking spaces.
“We have been having productive and exciting conversations as part of an exploratory partnership between Sacramento State and Cal Expo,” Sacramento State President Luke Wood and Cal Expo CEO Tom Martinez wrote in a joint statement provided to The Bee. “As two state agencies, we’re excited about the potential to create something truly impactful, not just for Sacramento, but for the entire region.”
Details about the stadium, like the exact size, capacity, design and cost, will be further discussed should the two sides enter the exclusive negotiating agreement. Sacramento State has offered few specifics about costs since stadium plans were made public 11 months ago.
Why Sacramento State wants a new stadium
The talk of a new stadium comes while Wood is working toward growing the profile of Sacramento State athletics amid hopes of eventually joining the Pac-12. He’s hoping with the help of the “SAC 12” executive committee, which has pledged to raise money for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals for athletes, to compete with universities with more resources. Moving from the second-tier FCS to FBS in football would require Sacramento State to upgrade its facilities and invest more into its athletic department.
Sacramento State in June announced it would be leaving the Big Sky conference to join the Big West in every sport except football beginning in the 2026-27 academic year. The football program would act as an independent with the long-term goal of joining the Pac-12.
The Pac-12, meanwhile, has taken a dramatic new shape in recent years and has been looking for new member schools. The once-storied conference in 2024 lost blue bloods USC, UCLA, Oregon, Cal, Stanford and Washington, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State.
In 2026-27 the Pac-12 will officially welcome Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Utah State and Texas State. Should Sacramento State join, this region would become one of the conference’s largest markets. According to Nielsen, Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto ranks as the country’s No. 20 media market ranking higher than any currently in the Pac-12.
Sac State has roughly 31,000 students, more than other Pac-12 newcomers Boise State (27,250), Fresno State (24,310), Gonzaga (7,253) and Utah State (28,900).
Moving to a football stadium off campus wouldn’t be out of the norm. UCLA plays at the Rose Bowl, nearly 26 miles from campus in Pasadena. The University of Miami plays at Hard Rock Stadium some 25 miles away from Coral Gables, Fla.. Perhaps the most comparable setup to Sac State moving to Cal Expo would be San Diego State, whose football team plays at Snap Dragon Stadium, roughly 5 miles off campus.
The SAC 12 committee has said it will secure $50 million in NIL money for athletes should Sac State join the Pac-12, help to fund a new football stadium and a new basketball arena on campus, and cover fees for joining the new conference.
Wood has already taken steps with the basketball program by hiring former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby to become its head coach and legendary center Shaquille O’Neal to be the program’s general manager, albeit in a voluntary role. The basketball team had just two winning seasons since moving to Division I in 1991. It will be playing its home games at the newly renovated Well, near the current football stadium on campus, which will increase capacity from 1,000 to 3,200 from its former home, the Nest.
Why Cal Expo wants to build a stadium
Martinez, Cal Expo’s CEO, in a story written last month about the future of the property, hinted there was something coming that could change the future of the complex. Cal Expo had reported millions in losses in recent years stemming from how COVID-19 affected the State Fair and needed upgrades to the facility, like new roofs and air conditioning systems.
He said he was optimistic about the future of Cal Expo even with the end of horse racing and Sacramento Republic FC’s planned departure from its Cal Expo stadium, Heart Health Park, for a new stadium in the downtown Railyards set to open in 2027.
“I think there’s opportunities now to do even better,” Martinez said during the State Fair in July. “I’m not only optimistic, but I’m excited. I wish I could share more ... We have some outstanding developments we’re working on that I believe will be great for the next few generations that come to Cal Expo.”
In theory, a stadium with a 25,000-plus capacity would be the largest concert venue in the capital region outside of Discovery Park, where music festivals Aftershock and GoldenSky are held. Visit Sacramento reported Aftershock saw 40,000 patrons on average over the four-day festival in 2024.
The stadium would seemingly compete with Republic FC’s new stadium that is initially planned to fit 12,000 fans with the ability to expand to 20,000 or more, and also serve as a potential venue for concerts and events. Republic FC has a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for its new stadium on Monday.
This story was originally published August 17, 2025 at 11:59 AM.
