Mike Bibby-led Hornets make debut in new home for Sac State hoops. How’d it go?
The ribbon cutting with all the bells and whistles came Monday afternoon, and then the real fun started.
The Hornet Pavilion is now open for expanded business. The early returns after two games included rave reviews of a long-overdue venue to house the basketball teams at Sacramento State.
The women’s team was the first tenant to break in Hornet Pavilion, located inside the Well, Sac State’s on-campus fitness and health facility that has been a hub of campus activity since it opened in 2010. The venue has since 2021 undergone significant upgrades, especially since the spring. It’s now something of a gem that can seat nearly 3,000 — if people don’t mind sitting on each other’s shoulders — and the place sparkles with a new court, new video boards and new hope for a school that had used the 1,000-seat Nest since the 1940s.
The Nest had its charm, including freshly painted forest-green walls, but it was outdated and was as bad of an NCAA Division I facility as one could find in the country.
“This is 110% better than the Nest,” Sac State men’s coach Mike Bibby said. “We’re all excited about it.”
The Hornets used an inspired second half to defeat Division II Dominican University of the Bay Area 103-79 in Bibby’s head-coaching debut, as Sacramento native Jayden Teat had 21 points to match game-high honors with fellow guard Prophet Johnson.
One night earlier, the Hornets women’s team made it a historic debut in Hornet Pavilion, rolling past NAIA-member Stanton University of Southern California, 124-39, giving coach Aaron Kallhoff his 100th career victory as a head coach. He is in his third season with the Hornets, and he has an entertaining team that includes players from seven different countries.
The 85-point margin of victory marked a Hornets program record, surpassing the 71-point, 86-15 rout of San Francisco State in 1974.
The women’s game was not a sellout, though there was a spirited crowd that included scores of athletes for various teams on campus.
The men’s game on Tuesday night, though, was a sellout with more than 2,300 squeezing in, making it the highest-attended home game in the 77-year history of the program.
Hornets big man Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry had 17 points and 10 rebounds as 12 players saw time on a roster that has 14 new players compared to last season.
Key to big crowds? ‘Win’
Before the game, Bibby was given a hug and good-luck kiss by his mother, Virginia. Former Sacramento Kings forward Brad Miller attended the game and sat behind Sac State’s bench, the 7-footer with the long locks and a green Hornets cap. Miller attended out of his friendship with Bibby from when they played for Kings in the 2000s.
Unlike when he was the cool and calm floor leader of the best Kings teams in the Sacramento era, Bibby worked the sideline as the clear man in charge. He chewed on players to move without the ball. He barked at referees for missing a call. He had the attention of his players in timeouts. Before Bibby left the building, he was presented the game ball, signed by all of his players, a moment he will not forget.
“I was anxious,” he said of this game coming in. “I wasn’t nervous. It’s different than playing. I can’t get on the court and control the game.”
Bibby said of the crowd, “It was a good crowd, a good turnout. It’s great to be in this building, and it was rocking.”
The key to maintaining such a crowd?
“Win,” Bibby said with a laugh. “There’s no other way to say it. But you win, and people will come and watch. You’ve got to put a good product out there on the court in order for them to watch.”
On-campus arena in the works?
Sacramento State athletic director Mark Orr was a man of the people on Monday and Tuesday nights, talking to fans, listening to the kudos from alums who were ready for an upgrade.
“I’m so excited for our school and our basketball teams,” Orr said. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s pretty cool, and to see the light in people’s eyes when they walk in is really cool. This feels like a Division I venue.”
Sac State for a spell in the 1990s used Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento for home games in an effort to have a Division I feel, joining that tier of NCAA play after decades at the Division II level. Sacramento State’s long-term goal is to construct an on-campus basketball arena.
“We need to continue to explore all options,” Orr said. “For now, this is tremendous. We’re committed to this facility, and hopefully, we can fill it. My goal would be if it’s sold-out every night, we need to find something bigger, yes.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 10:18 PM.