Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams on cover of EA Sports College Football ’26
EA Sports chose Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Alabama’s Ryan Williams to be on the cover of College Football ’26. We talk to the athletes about what this moment means to them.
Sacramento State’s attempt to become a Football Bowl Subdivision team hit another roadblock. The NCAA Division I Council officially denied the school’s waiver request to make the transition.
The decision was finalized Wednesday, June 25 after the council voted on it the day prior. Yahoo Sports was first to report the news.
Currently a Championship Subdivision member, Sacramento State’s application to move up to FBS was tied to the “bona fide invitation,” meaning the Hornets needed an invitation from a conference in order to make the jump. The university hoped it could get a waiver through a similar process Liberty did when the Flames were allowed to start as an independent member in 2018 before it joined Conference USA in 2023.
However, the FBS Oversight Committee recommended the Division I Council deny Sacramento State’s waiver application, setting the stage for the decision.
“The committee noted a conference invitation is of paramount importance for entering into the reclassification process because the invitation signals an institution’s readiness to enter the process,” the FBS Oversight Committee said in its recommendation. “Although a waiver of the bona fide invitation requirement was granted in 2017, that decision was made in a different era, under a different set of facts and rules.”
What’s next for Sacramento State?
Sacramento State is a member of the Big Sky Conference but informed the league a week before the NCAA’s decision it would be leaving the conference after the upcoming athletic calendar. The university announced it would join the Big West Conference for the 2026-27 academic year in all sports but football, leaving the window open for a possible invitation from a FBS league.
Now with its request denied, Sacramento State is in position to be an FCS independent for the 2026 season. But Sacramento State president Luke Wood remains confident the football team can still pursue FBS status after the upcoming season.
The Hornets have only two confirmed games scheduled for 2026: on the road at Fresno State and at home against Lamar.
“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. We’re full steam ahead and we still plan to be playing FBS football in 2026,” Sacramento State president Luke Wood said in a statement on social media.
Sacramento State’s investment in sports
A move to FBS would be instrumental in Sacramento State’s attempt to become a major athletic program not just in California, but on the West Coast.
In 2024, a group of Sacramento State donors formed the “Sac12,” an organization with the goal of paving the way for a bid to the Pac-12. The conference currently has seven football members for the 2026 season, and is eyeing one more football school so it can meet the FBS requirement. The Pac-12 also is adding Gonzaga as a non-football member for the 2026-27 season.
The donor group said it needed to secure $50 million in name, image and likeness commitments for the first 10 years in the Pac-12, $5.25 million in conference fees and additional funding to build a football stadium and basketball arena. On3 reported the group had raised $35 million for NIL funds.
In September, Sacramento State announced plans to build a new campus stadium to replace the temporary stands at its current 21,195-seat facility. The “Sac12” group has also offered to move the basketball teams from its home arena to the Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center, in the city’s downtown area.
The athletic department has also made the investment in its men’s basketball and football teams. In football, Sacramento State hired Brennan Marion as coach and added veteran Tim Brewsteras senior associate head coach. It also added former five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada in the transfer portal. Sacramento State went 3-9 in 2024 after an 8-5 season in 2023, a season in which it advanced to second round of the FCS playoffs.
The Hornets also hired former Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby as the men’s basketball coach and, in April, appointed Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal as the team’s general manager in a volunteer capacity.