Sacramento State making strong push for Pac-12, MWC invite amid expansion buzz

Conference realignment is once again in full swing, as the Pac-12 announced on Thursday that it was adding four schools to the duo of Washington State and Oregon State. The schools added include the Boise State Broncos, one of the best non-Power Four programs out on the market. These six universities will form the core of a reborn Pac-12. Another school who could look to join them? Current FCS school Sacramento State, who has local politicians and business owners vouching for their inclusion. Reports broke on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday about the story.

"Sacramento's local politicians and business leaders are planning a campaign to help get Sacramento State into the Pac-12 or Mountain West, a source tells FOS," reported Front Office Sports on the social media site. "The school would need to undergo the NCAA's FBS transition process."

The Sacramento State Hornets currently compete in the Big Sky conference and are coached by Andy Thompson. Former coach Troy Taylor is in charge of the Stanford Cardinal, and Thompson is in his second year at the helm of the program. He was the defensive coordinator under Taylor and has been with the program since 2019. The Hornets went 8-5 in Thompson's first season at the helm, losing in the second round of last year's FCS Playoffs. Could the program make the transition to Division I? A good amount of Sacramento's leaders think they could.

Could Sacramento State adjust to Pac-12 or MWC quickly?

Sacramento State has never won an FCS national title, only making it as far as the semifinals after the 1988 season. In program history, they are a cumulative 313-395-8, for a .443 winning percentage. So, a transition to either the Pac-12 or MWC might be a tough task. Especially since the program has never been as successful in the FCS like other programs who have transitioned in the recent past, like James Madison.

Still, it does make sense for local leaders to try and push the university towards the top tier of college athletics. First off is money, as the school would be bringing in much more per year due to media rights deals and other factors. The increased budget would help across the board, particularly when it comes to facility upgrades, recruiting battles and the coaching staff. A major reason why many of the top programs remain at the peak of the mountain is due to these factors.