Who Are the Sacramento State Hornets? Will they Join The Pac-12 Conference?

Jared Miller | Oct 4, 2024

Sep 16, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets running back Marcus Fulcher (9) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

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The Pac-12's regrowth may find itself in California's capital soon and there's a pretty good football team that plays there.

Sacramento State has not been shy about its ambitions to get in on the Pac-12's expansion. The school announced last week that it intends to construct a brand new, multi-use football stadium with 25,000 seats; an aggressive push that would certainly help them garner FBS attention. Who are the Sac State Hornets, though? What is there to know about the Pac-12 hopefuls?

Currently members of the Big Sky Conference, Sacramento State is well-established program within the FCS ranks. With four playoff trips, three conference titles and 40 wins since the start of 2019, the Hornets have been one of the more successful teams in the country over the past half decade. Currently they are 3-2 this year and are ranked #17 in the FCS media poll.

Sac State's football team has had a long and impressive history against the Pac-12, at least the old one. Last year the Hornets were one of only four FCS teams to beat an FBS team in 2023, taking down Stanford 30-23. In 2011 they famously defeated Oregon State 29-28 in overtime thanks to a two-point conversion. A year later they took down Colorado 30-28. The team also beat soon-to-be Pac-12 member Colorado State by a whopping 31 points, setting the program mark for the largest margin of victory over an FBS opponent.

Founded in 1954, Sacramento State has sponsored football for 70 years and, in that time, has played ball at the NCAA College Division, Division II and Division I levels. The team has two primary rivalries within the state of California with UC Davis (known as the Causeway Classic) and Cal Poly (the Green and Gold Rivalry), a pair of teams that are both also Big Sky Conference affiliates. They have never won a national championship.

The team's alumni tree is also quite notable. Current Stanford head coach Troy Taylor led Sacramento State for four seasons before going taking over for the Cardinal. Current Chicago Bears wide receiver and return specialist DeAndre Carter is a former Hornet as is New England Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu. Mapu is the school's most recent NFL Draft selection.

Outside of football, though, the school itself has quite the pedigree. The university's current enrollment has reached above 31,500 and it's athletic department sponsors 19 sports including men's and women's basketball, baseball, track & field, volleyball and soccer amongst several others. Sacramento State has claimed one NCAA national championship for women's volleyball in 1981.

If Sac State does indeed become the newest Pac-12 member, it will bring with it a storied history both on and off the gridiron.

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