What I'm hearing about Sacramento State and potentially a very busy two weeks for conference realignment

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July 1 is typically an important date on the college athletics calendar. That’s usually the start of the new academic and fiscal year. That means it’s often a date that comes up in all sorts of contracts…like conference affiliation.

If you want to make a move while paying the smallest amount of exit fees you can, well, you’re going to try to make a conference realignment announcement before July 1. Leaving in July, unless you’re willing to wait an extra year, will typically become more expensive.

In that spirit, two industry sources with direct knowledge told me on Tuesday evening that Sacramento State is expected to announce on Wednesday that they will be leaving the Big Sky Conference, effective July 1, 2026. The Hornets, I’m told, are expected to affiliate with the Big West Conference. This will give the Big West 12 conference members, as Utah Valley and Cal Baptist joined the league earlier in 2025.

But the Big West does not sponsor football. I’m told that Sacramento State’s preference and top priority remains to find a way to compete in the FBS. Since earlier attempts to secure FBS conference affiliation were not successful, Sacramento State applied for a waiver to join FBS as an independent.

Many fans and analysts assumed that because Liberty was awarded a waiver back in 2017, Sacramento State’s application would assuredly get approved. I had been repeatedly told throughout the process that Sacramento State was no guaranteed bet to secure such a waiver. Earlier this week, the FBS Oversight Committee recommended that the NCAA Division 1 Council deny that waiver.

Absent an FBS home by 2026, industry sources told me that Sacramento State is preparing to participate as an FCS Independent until they can secure a stable FBS home.

Why is it looking like their waiver won’t be approved? What does this move mean for the Big Sky? What about potential realignment with the Pac-12, Sun Belt, and others?

Here’s what I’ve been hearing this week, after the jump.

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