Hornetsports
release.
Now that I've had a few days and cigars to celebrate our FBS invite I'll spew a bunch of thoughts about our situation.
First and foremost this will be a massive shot in the arm for fan and media interest. With the exception of the few times he's put his foot in his mouth, Dr. Wood has manipulated the media exceptionally well over the last year and a half. I fully expect him and his staff to capitalize on this headwind and disseminate more of his agenda to the public.
Hornet admin will need to finalize the non-conference schedule and jump on a ticket sales campaign. MAC schedules were released in early March last year so we are a few weeks away from seeing a complete schedule. I'm hoping we get a regional FBS game at home but availability to fulfill that desire for the '26 season may not exist.
The rumor I heard is that the phags turned down an invite/request to apply for FB membership from the MW so the MW went with NDSU instead. Prior to our MAC invite, the phags doubled down on their commitment to JV and have now painted themselves into a corner. No doubt they will get to the FBS via the MW eventually, but whatever their initial schedule was to make themselves "FBS ready" (whatever that means) will no doubt be accelerated as their egos will not allow them to remain JV while us lowly Hornets are FBS. In the meantime, we'll need to gobble up the market share, corporate partnerships, and media attention and distance ourselves from their JV status. As an esteemed poster once put it, "davis is like a wart on the end of a finger," it's paramount that Sac State media folks push Hornet football hard to maximize our exposure and minimize any attention the phags and their JV cohorts get while they scramble around to become "FBS ready". The jealousy and envy emanating from across the Causeway will be palpable so I encourage Hornet fans to imbibe copious amounts of their angst.
People flipping out about being in the far flung MAC are not considering how far flung the BSC is. We're only talking about 4 road trips via charter. The difference in time between those trips (with the exception of Buffalo and UMass) and past trips to the BSC is not significant. Couple that with regional home games against known FBS brands and large paydays against P2 programs and the trade off will be well worth it.
From a competitive standpoint, the MAC is not a strong conference. Given the resources poured into Hornet football over the past few years, I'd say our talent level is on par with the bottom half of the MAC and maybe a few of the programs in the top half. Our recent near/stolen wins at SJSU and Nevada prove this as well as the recent win over Stanford. We'll also be able to recruit local talent dead set on playing at the FBS level. I'm not worried about being competitive in the MAC, but the Hornets will need to deliver wins to make this move successful and open up future opportunities.
The 5 year term on MAC membership confirms that this isn't the end goal for Hornet football. The MAC will give the Hornets an opportunity to build our case for an invite to one of the regional G6 conferences in the next realignment round slated for the early '30s. I don't think the Hornets need to be dominant to get a look as both the nPAC and the MW just unveiled lackluster media deals. Being located in the 20th DMA means both conferences will look to bolster their media value and we'll have something to offer, provided we aren't a complete dumpster fire. Will the nPAC look to add our market or will the MW make a blocking move and secure the entire Sacramento market (along with the phags) all to themselves? If we properly build while in the MAC, we'll have no issue landing in one of those conferences.
My biggest concern with this move involves our Hornet staff. To be clear I'm not talking about coaching, that sorts itself out on the field. Coaches who can't deliver need to be shown the door, and this applies to all sports as I believe an nPAC invite in all sports is the long term goal (see paragraph above). No, my concerns are with the department staff who will now have to step up their game and meet the demands required of the FBS level. This means actual facilities must be built. Gameday atmosphere needs to be engaging, efficient, and enjoyable. Data analytics for Hornet fans and ticket buyers must be gathered and used to optimize sales for revenue generation. Corporate donors need to be wooed and secured. Merchandise designs and sales need to be ramped up and made more readily available at Hornet events. Parking/tailgate needs to be optimized for ease of use/engagement so fans don't leave frustrated or disgusted. To be honest with you, I don't think our current staff can deliver most of those items listed above and I'm sure I left somethings out. The pressure will be on AD Orr to deliver and the leash should be short. Orr hasn't delivered any significant facilities, which is a major concern. There have been limited improvements to gameday atmosphere which also falls on Orr. Orr needs to find a new level and deliver on key items or Dr. Wood will have no choice but to make a change. This will hold true for a lot of staff currently in place. I do hope the current staff can meet the demands required of an FBS program but that will be the biggest thing to keep an eye on.
