Sacramento State
7-5 2025 finalSacramento State is the California state school that built a Big Sky dynasty — three titles in four years — then bet everything on an $18 million FBS leap to the MAC, the most ambitious program build in the history of a city that Sacramento considers its own.
Hornets country waits.
Sacramento State is the California state school that built a Big Sky dynasty — three titles in four years — then bet everything on an $18 million FBS leap to the MAC, the most ambitious program build in the history of a city that Sacramento considers its own.
Sacramento State enters the MAC as a football-only FBS member in 2026, its first year in the Football Bowl Subdivision after 33 years in the FCS (Big Sky). The school paid approximately $18M in entry costs, announced a new 25,000-…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
Sacramento State faces a balanced portal churn with 25 transfers in and 22 out
The team's recruiting rank of #127 and a transfer-in score of 83.89 suggest moderate improvement potential.
- Roster reloadSacramento State has 25 transfers in and 22 out, indicating a balanced portal churn.
Offseason Pulse · Sacramento State
Roster · Recruiting · PortalRecruiting Class
#127 nationally
2025 cycle · 247 composite rating 89.3
Outside the recruiting top 60. Roster gaps must close via portal.
Returning Production
Awaiting signalHornets country waits.
Talent Composite
#133 nationally
2023 cycle · 247 composite 83.9
Outside the talent top 60. The wins must be earned in development.
Portal Movement
25 in / 22 out
2026 cycle · in 25 / out 22
Incoming and outgoing movement are tracked separately in Roster Reload.
Roster Reload - Sacramento State
2026 snapshot - 2026-06-22The Pulse on Sacramento State
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Sacramento State
The benchmark recent successors are graded against.
The structural peak the modern era is built for.
Above the bowl tier — the validation bowl.
Plausible in a strong year; the dream rung.
Sacramento State · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
Market outlook
Season expectations
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-06-22
Recruiting Reload - Top 3 commits
2026 classRecruiting Footprint · 2026
20CA leads the 2026 class with 16 commits. National footprint reaching 5 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
32 signees across 5 states, 2023-2026. CA leads the pull.
Who We Are
Most Similar Programs · Sacramento State
Reads Like
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Fanbase Health Index · Sacramento State · medium confidence
Growing (67)
Home-Field Advantage · Sacramento State · 2018-present
Above-Average
68% home win rate vs 57% on the road. margin runs +6.2 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Mixed
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
Season Standing · 2025 · 7-5
Bowl eligible
Sacramento State: 6+ wins, bowl access secured. The baseline of a successful FBS year.
Mid-American Standing · 2025
4th in the Mid-American
Sacramento State sits 4th of 13 in the Mid-American at 7-5. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Michigan | 10-4 |
| 2 | Ohio | 9-4 |
| 3 | Toledo | 8-5 |
| 4 | Sacramento State | 7-5 |
| 5 | Central Michigan | 7-6 |
| 6 | Miami (OH) | 7-7 |
| 7 | Akron | 5-7 |
| 8 | Buffalo | 5-7 |
| 9 | Kent State | 5-7 |
| 10 | Ball State | 4-8 |
| 11 | Bowling Green | 4-8 |
| 12 | Eastern Michigan | 4-8 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 0-12 |
Schedule Strength · Sacramento State · 2025
Soft
Average opponent win rate 41% across 12 finalized games. Few elite opponents on the slate — win quality matters for the at-large bracket.
NFL Draft Pipeline
2023–2025Thin
2 picks last 5 cycles. Roster development still maturing.
Moment of the Year · Sacramento State · 2025
Won 49-28 vs Mercyhurst
Week 3 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Recent postseason (2023): 1-1
Most recent: 2023 — loss 34-24 (away). Last 5 postseason: 1-1.
From the Archive — Sacramento State
2022: Won 56-33 vs Utah Tech
In 2022, the program won 56-33 vs Utah Tech — a comfortable home result that left the 23-point margin on the books.
Go Hornets.