Why is the MAC adding Sac State?
Conference insiders dish on the why and the how to The Inside Zone
MACtion, meet SACtion.
Why?
How?
Good questions.
Sacramento State has made no bones about its lofty athletic ambitions since president Luke Wood took over in 2023. From claiming that they raised $50 million in NIL pledges to going after big football coaching names like Michael Vick, from pursuing Pac-12 membership to hiring Mike Bibby to lead the men’s basketball program, the Hornets have done everything humanly possible to make their voice heard.
Now Sac State has its wish granted. Even if its football program will now have to travel 2,000 miles for each of its away games.
The MAC has voted to accept Sac State as a 13th football member, multiple sources told The Inside Zone. The Hornets will play in the conference this upcoming season, which will also mark their first as an FBS member.
The move carries an $18 million price tag for an entry fee to the MAC, per Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, who first reported the move. There’s also a $5 million entry free for moving up to the FBS.
Is the juice worth the squeeze for the MAC? Does it make any sense to have UMass-Sac State conference games in the Mid-American Conference?
No more than UCLA-Rutgers in the 18-team Big Ten does, sure. But still: The Big Ten has a lot of money. The MAC doesn’t.
