As Sac State lands record $7.5M partnership, men’s basketball surges at home

Saturday was a doubly-good night for Sacramento State.

First came the announcement of a historic sponsorship and partnership deal, and then the men’s basketball team delivered the strongest performance and result of coach Mike Bibby’s first season, improving to 8-1 at the new Hornet Pavilion in front of a record, overflow crowd.

Bibby said the home vibe has led to “great home cookin’.”

Before the Big Sky Conference game in which the Hornets beat Montana 86-79 for their sixth consecutive home victory, Sac State President Luke Wood and athletic director Mark Orr announced a five-year, $7.5 million sponsorship and partnership with Wilton Rancheria and Sky River Casino, the largest tribal deal in the school’s 79-year history.

The aim of the partnership is, according to a Sacramento State news release, “to advance student-athlete development, enhance fan engagement, and expand educational opportunities for Native and Indigenous students in the Wileety Native American College at Sacramento State.”

The agreement includes sponsorship of the Hornets’ men’s and women’s basketball teams and the football program. Those teams will at times wear tribal-inspired uniforms.

Wood and Orr said the partnership will focus on philanthropic investment in Sacramento State’s Wileety Native American College, the first Native American college housed on a California State University campus.

“This reflects how Wilton Rancheria approaches long-term investment, by supporting people, opportunity, and community,” said Jesus Tarango, chairman of Wilton Rancheria, in the release. “From student-athletes competing at the highest level to Native students pursuing higher education and leadership pathways, this collaboration is about creating access, honoring culture, and building outcomes that will last well beyond the term of this agreement.”

Hornets are hot at home

Fans on Saturday got a preview of the new look, with sponsorship signage on the playing floor, and fan engagement that included additional in-game enhancements. The crowd of 3,116 was the largest for the Hornets at an on-campus game, dating to 1948.

Before this season, the Hornets played home games at the 1,000-seat Nest for all but four years of their basketball history, with those seasons spent at Memorial Auditorium from 1996-2000.

Sac State senior guard Prophet Johnson continued his hot pace with 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals. Sophomore guard Amran Madi played his best game of the season, scoring a season-high 17 points, including 4 of 6 shooting from 3-point range. Junior guard Jahni Summers also scored 17 points, and sophomore guard Mikey Williams added 14 points and eight assists as the Hornets improved to 8-13 overall and 4-5 in the Big Sky.

Sac State remained winless on the road at 0-12 but improved to 4-0 at home in Big Sky play. Last week, the Hornets beat Montana State at home. The Bobcats entered the game having won nine of their previous 10 games and were tied for second place in the Big Sky with Montana at 7-3.

The Hornets host Weber State at 7 p.m. Monday and host first-place Portland State on Feb. 7 to cap a season-high four-game homestand.

This story was originally published February 1, 2026 at 2:57 PM.