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- Sacramento State plans to play in FBS in '26 despite NCAA denial</p>
<p>Field Level MediaJune 26, 2025 at 10:24 PM</p>
<p>Sep 16, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver (25) celebrates after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images (Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images)</p>
<p>At the very least, Sacramento State football is determined, vowing to move from the FCS level to FBS in 2026 even though the NCAA Division I council denied a waiver this week for the program to move up a level.</p>
<p>Since 2024, Sacramento State has expressed a desire to move into college football's highest level, with original hopes of moving into a reconfigured Pac-12 Conference that was set to return to action in 2026 with five Mountain West Conference programs.</p>
<p>But the Hornets program did not receive an invitation for its football program to join an existing conference. Instead, the Hornets launched a plan to leave the Big Sky Conference for the Big West Conference in all sports but football and have its football team play as an FBS independent in 2026.</p>
<p>While the NCAA has nixed that plan, at least for the time being, the school plans on moving forward anyway.</p>
<p>"We still plan to be playing FBS football in 2026," Sacramento State president Luke Wood posted on X after the NCAA denied the school's waiver request.</p>
<p>"Sacramento State has met every meaningful benchmark for FBS membership, and we believe our university, our students, and the entire Sacramento region deserve major college football," Wood wrote.</p>
<p>As part of its plan to move its football program to the FBS level, Sacramento State has proposed a 25,000-seat football stadium. Its current football venue, at just over 21,000 seats, is configured with temporary stands.</p>
<p>The Hornets also secured a deal to move its men's and women's basketball games into the Sacramento Kings' home arena for 2026.</p>
<p>On the football field last season, Sacramento State did not fit the bill of an FBS team with a 3-9 record. The Hornets did go 8-5 in 2023 and won a first-round game in the FCS playoffs.</p>
<p>--Field Level Media</p>
Source: AOL Sports
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