No FBS for Sac State? Hornets non-football sports headed to Big West Conference
Sacramento State’s effort to move up to the highest level of college football may have hit a snag, but the school’s president isn’t dismayed about the Hornets’ future in athletics.
Luke Wood aims to elevate all of the sports programs on campus with a move to the Big West Conference starting in July 2026, he confirmed in a text to The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday, saying, “Yes, we are in the Big West.”
The Big West formally announced the addition of Sacramento State later Wednesday morning in a news release. The Big West does not offer football like the Big Sky Conference, of which Sacramento State has been a member since 1996 and won football championships in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
“It is a great day in the history of The Big West,” said Pradeep K. Khosla, UC San Diego Chancellor and chair of the Big West Board of Directors in the statement. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, we welcome these institutions and thank Commissioner Dan Butterly for his vision and leadership in successfully navigating the changing tides of conference membership.”
Added Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly, “The Big West membership and conference staff are excited to welcome Sacramento State. In addition to strengthening The Big West competitively and expanding our geographic footprint, Sacramento State is a staunch advocate for excellence in academics, athletics and service within their community. The new look Big West promises to bring a new level of competition and friendly rivalry for student-athletes and fans alike.”
Sac State FBS snag?
The Football Bowl Subdivision — otherwise known as the FBS and the land of bowl games and big money — is where President Wood wanted the Hornets to compete in as soon as the 2026 season. In that effort, the school earlier this spring submitted a waiver to the governing body NCAA to move up from the Football Championship Subdivision, FCS, as the Hornets have been buzzing with activity on campus.
The FBS Oversight Committee this week recommended that the Division I Council not accept the Hornets’ waiver request to move up as a non-conference, independent member. Sacramento State will go independent in football as it will not be a member of the Big Sky after this coming academic year.
The Division I Council will meet June 24-25 to officially accept or deny the recommendation, though the Division I Council has historically followed the suggestion of the oversight committee.
From the FBS Oversight Committee in a report by the NCAA: “The committee reviewed the application and waiver submitted by California State University, Sacramento, to enter the FCS to FBS reclassification process for the 2025-26 academic year. The committee recommends the NCAA Division I Council deny the institution’s request to waive the required bona fide invitation from an active FBS conference.
“The committee noted a conference invitation is of paramount importance for entering into the reclassification process because the invitation signals an institution’s readiness to enter the process. Although a waiver of the bona fide invitation requirement was granted in 2017, that decision was made in a different era, under a different set of facts and rules.
“The Division I membership adopted the current legislation to affirm the importance of the nature and purpose of the subdivision reclassification process, choosing to place that decision-making authority with the council. Due to the significance of the bona fide invitation from an FBS conference requirement and the lack of compelling mitigation explaining why that requirement, one that several other FCS institutions have met in recent years, has not been met, the committee does not support relief.”
The Big Sky Conference in a statement on Wednesday said, “Sacramento State has provided notice to the Big Sky of its intention to withdraw as a member of the conference, effective June 20, 2026.”Given the expected nature of this development, the league’s membership has already begun a strategic process to determine its best course of action moving forward.”
Sac State fits in Big West
Wood said that Sacramento State athletics are a natural fit for the Big West, which consists of Southern California schools Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Baptist in Riverside, Bakersfield, Fullerton, Long Beach, Northridge, Irvine, Riverside, UC San Diego and Santa Barbara with out-of-state members Hawaii and Utah Valley.
Sacramento State would likely replace UC Davis, which will join the Mountain West Conference for all sports except football starting in July 2026. With 12 members, the Big West announced that this “will be the largest intercollegiate athletic conference in the western United States.”
Said Wood, “Joining The Big West is a bold step forward for Sacramento State and our intercollegiate athletics program. This move reflects the passion and perseverance of our entire university community. We believe deeply in the power of athletics to transform lives and are proud to align ourselves with a conference that shares our core values of excellence, integrity and student-centered growth.”
Sacramento State athletic director Mark Orr added, “We are thrilled to become a full member of The Big West and are grateful for the invitation. Sacramento State strives to provide our student-athletes the opportunity to be in the best position to be nationally competitive, and The Big West for decades has been a conference that has enjoyed national success in several sports. We are eager to compete for championships, enhance existing rivalries, and develop new relationships with our peer conference members. “
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 9:41 AM.