Overview

• The NCAA Division I Council denied Sacramento State’s waiver request, citing the absence of a bona fide FBS conference invitation as a mandatory reclassification criterion.
• Following its scheduled Big Sky exit, Sacramento State will join the Big West Conference for all non-football sports and field its football team as an FCS independent in 2026.
• President Luke Wood asserts that the university has met every key benchmark for FBS membership and remains determined to compete at the top subdivision next season.
• The Hornets have backed their bid with plans for a new stadium, at least $35 million in NIL commitments and the Sac12 collective aimed at strengthening a future Pac-12 bid.
• Legal experts, including Boise State law professor Sam Ehrlich, warn that the NCAA’s decision could trigger antitrust litigation over what critics call arbitrary gatekeeping.