Sources: MAC to add Sacramento State as football-only member - ESPN

The MAC presidents have voted to formally add FCS Sacramento State into the league as a football-only member starting in 2026, sources told ESPN.

The cost of entrance is expected to be $18 million, per sources, and a deal is expected to be announced in the upcoming days. All in, the total cost of entry is expected to be $23 million, as Sacramento State would also need to pay an additional $5 million to the NCAA to move up.

This marks a significant move for Sacramento State, as they will be the first West Coast football program to make this jump to the highest level of football in well over a generation.

Sacramento State has been aggressive in pursuit of this level, with president Luke Wood said this summer: «We believe our university, our students, and the entire Sacramento region deserve major college football.»

The move will keep the MAC at 13 schools. They'd replace Northern Illinois, which is leaving for the Mountain West in football next year.

It also marks a trend of schools paying money to move up in leagues. SMU paved the way, as they chose to forgo nine years of television revenue to join the ACC. Cal and Stanford also accepted reduced money to join the ACC.

Sacramento State's move is the second in the last week, as North Dakota State finalized a move to the Mountain West. That move cost $12.5 million. In a smaller scale, Northern Illinois paid a $2 million entrance fee to join the Mountain West.

The payouts to leagues like the MAC an Mountain West come at a time when revenue is scarce, as smaller leagues are struggling to retain top talent in football and men's basketball since the waiving of transfer rules and the ability of schools to pay players through NIL and revenue share.

Sacramento State's recent