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The Sacramento State Hornets went just 3-9 at the FCS level of college football a year ago. But the Hornets, armed with an allegedly massive NIL budget and new head coach Brennan Marion, are set to make the jump from FCS to FBS pending NCAA approval. The move comes without a conference affiliation, but after over a year of lobbying to get the program to the sport’s highest level.
Sacramento State, which did go 12-1 under Troy Taylor in 2022, burst onto the national scene last season with reports that it had raised $35 million in NIL funding in just one day. That story was eventually disproved, but it was more a matter of semantics than anything. The Hornets did land a large amount of promised contributions from companies across one of the country’s largest media markets.
Sacramento State And Its Massive NIL Budget Is All In On Athletics Amid FBS Move
In December, school announced it had hired Brennan Marion, one of the top young offensive coordinators in the country, as its next head coach. It landed former five-star wide receiver Agiye Hall in the transfer portal and even hosted five-star QB Ryder Lyons on a recruiting vision.
It quickly became very clear that the Hornets are serious about their football program. But it’s not just football. Sacramento State also hired former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby to lead its basketball program just a week ago. Now, Pete Thamel of ESPN reports that the university is ready to take the next step.
“Sacramento State plans to file an application with the NCAA this week to transition from the FCS to the FBS in football as an independent,” Thamel reports. “The school has already filed a waiver to transition as an independent in football, which requires NCAA approval.”
Thamel also states that the program would be ineligible for the postseason in both 2025 and 2026. But if the move is approved, the Hornets could come to a bowl game near you in 2027.