I should have been more clear. The better and more marketable programs currently in the MW are going to the new Pac 12.
-
Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts, upgrade to remove ads and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your BigSkyFans.com experience today!
The PAC-MWC Dominoes Begin to Fall/Conference Realignment
- Thread starter Kadeezy
- Start date
Kadeezy
Active member
If we get in on the MACtion.... That's an upgrade over C-USA. C-USA is losing two members to the Sun Belt, but people aren't talking much about how/if the MAC will replace NIU to the MWC.
The MAC could stay at 9 teams, but getting back to 10 by adding a CA football only team would have same appeal as it does for C-USA: Media Market, CA Recruiting/Games, and Competitive Potential.
Green Laser
Active member
None of these remote conferences would be too bad for football only. Team flys charter and only 4-5 times a season. What ever late season games in cold weather sites couldn't be any worse than playing outdoors at Montana, Montana State, EWU, Weber or UNC late in the season.
Last edited:
FootballAlum84
Active member
Am I missing something but I believe the MAC is still at 12 teams without NIU?
I can’t say I ever thought about Sac being apart of the infamous MACtion that made weekday college football something to look forward to. SACtion, can that be a thing? CUSA is right there with them now with the amount of weekday games but overall as a conference it’s become the teams that didn’t want to be FCS anymore but are still basically FCS.
Looking at the attendance in a big majority of weekday games in the MAC was kinda sad, and I know CUSA is probably same, many games with only 5-10k. Maybe with a new stadium, there would be interest with people wanting to attend weekday games in Sac but I just hope overtime that we would not become like that.
HornetFootballFan
Active member
Honestly… To become FBS and play 4-5 road games per season to Midwest. No big deal.
It’s most likely not going to last longer than a 5 yr run past 2030’ ish but it would be great for Hornet FB and great for the MAC.
I’m excited for FBS and the MAC in my opinion is 1 step behind the MWC & American. But much better than many other possible FBS conferences with smaller conference revenues.
I think MAC fans would welcome and enjoy having SAC ST and playing / recruiting in CA
It’s most likely not going to last longer than a 5 yr run past 2030’ ish but it would be great for Hornet FB and great for the MAC.
I’m excited for FBS and the MAC in my opinion is 1 step behind the MWC & American. But much better than many other possible FBS conferences with smaller conference revenues.
I think MAC fans would welcome and enjoy having SAC ST and playing / recruiting in CA
Kadeezy
Active member
You are right, they go from 13 to 12. Not sure what I was looking at…
Looking in the mirror. UMass.
CUSA would be a better option. NIU left for a reason.
Exactly. Everything is palatable as a football only situation. That said I'm not buying into any of these rumors until something official is announced.
For what it's worth, the media rights deal between the Mid‑American Conference (MAC) and ESPN runs for 13 years through the 2026-27 academic season.
A ChatGTP inquiry spitted out the following:
A ChatGTP inquiry spitted out the following:
- The contract’s total value is not officially disclosed, but multiple sources say it is more than US $100 million over the 13 years. SportsPro+2Hustle Belt+2
- One report estimates it at roughly US $8 million per year. Hustle Belt+1
- Given 12 member institutions in the conference, one site estimates each school would receive around US $670,000 per year. KentStater+1
- Later commentary allowed for a possible increase toward ~US $10 million/year, which would yield about US $833,000/year per school.
Kadeezy
Active member
The MAC is one tiny rung above C-USA strength and "prestige" wise. A media deal like that (though small) would be 8-10x the payout the school gets now.
I'm surprised the MAC is in play, and there are several FCS to C-USA teams over the last couple years that would be wondering the same thing. But, it makes sense. As others have said, with NIU leaving, the MAC is packed into a single time zone now. They would love to stagger their exposure to the Pacific, I'm sure.
The current CFP revenue deal expires in 2031, and there's going to be realignment mahem once again. We don't want to be in the lowest level of D1 when that happens. Jumping into the "middle" with a G5/6 conference gives us a 5-year window to be successful at the FBS level before a Pac-12 or MWC is scrambling for teams. It gives us a chance to finish a new football facility and move on an Events Center. All the while, the Olympic sports can stay parked in the BW for those 5 years, playing regional opponents.
This all holds true whether we're in the MAC or C-USA but the MAC brand means more, it has internet cache, and exposure. The most intriguing part of this is that it's coming from Canzaro, a more reliable source than some of the other X "journalists."
Like SD said, at this point I'll believe it when I see something from the school and a conference... lol
Mailbag: Sac State To The MAC? + Pac-12 Media Deal + North Alabama's Ceiling + More
The mailbag addresses the Sac State to the MAC rumor, North Alabama's potential, Pac-12 media deal, and more.
herosports.com
1) Are you buying the Sacramento State to the MAC rumor mill?
A: I am… not. In this day and age of collegiate athletics, anything can happen, but this one doesn’t add up for me. I think this rumor is a bit of a red herring because it starts with the wrong question.Why would the MAC need to expand here?
The only real reason would be if they were preparing to lose a school. Realignment? I don’t think that’s the driver. If there were an FBS league at risk of losing a program that drops football (or goes D2) — which has been quietly floated in some circles — I wouldn’t be shocked if it came from the MAC. Not naming names, and I don’t have deep sourcing here, but there’s a pulse.
Back to Sacramento State.
If you stack Sac State next to a comparable candidate — say Tarleton State — Tarleton is a far more realistic regional fit. It’s a lot easier to get MAC teams to Texas (still a stretch, but doable) than to Sacramento. Adding Sacramento essentially turns the MAC into a coast-to-coast, ACC-style operation… for football only. It just doesn’t track.
The current MAC TV deal runs through the 2026-27 season, so don’t be surprised if more rumors heat up surrounding this conference. A possible pitch from Sac State to the MAC could be capitalizing on its location for ideal late-night TV windows. Back-to-back midweek MACtion games, with Sac State hosting the later game?
Now again, this is all in a hypothetical world — is it football-only or not? I think Tarleton would jump at the chance if there were a path for their other sports. Honestly, they might jump at it even if it were football-only.
From the FRS (Financial Reporting System), which is the closest standard we have without fudging too many numbers — trust me, numbers still get fudged, but it’s solid for comparison — here’s a quick look at some 2024 data:
Student Fees Support
Tarleton State: $11,302,884
Sacramento State: $10,229,193
Direct Institutional Support
Tarleton State: $12,389,218
Sacramento State: $16,772,218
Indirect Institutional Support Revenue
Tarleton State: $0
Sacramento State: $10,572,203
These, plus another dozen line items that sit in a similar range, bring total reported revenues to:
Tarleton State: $28,200,122
Sacramento State: $43,065,314
You might be asking: What the hell is indirect institutional revenue?
Think of it as costs covered or services provided by the institution but not charged to athletics. Things like HR, accounting, IT, facilities maintenance, academic services, security, risk management, and utilities. Sometimes this also includes loans or service payments on facilities.
Outside of that line, both schools are very similar in fundraising, sports camp revenue, and so on. The only notable outlier is Tarleton, which has about $500K more in royalties, licensing, advertising, and sponsorships.
All that to be said … take it for what it’s worth.
One thing that does complicate Sac State right now is the stadium situation. They’ve struck a deal with Cal Expo for a $172 million project, down from the original $300 million plan, but the last meaningful update I’ve seen was in October. It has been awfully quiet for a project of that magnitude. As of late 2025, the Cal Expo board approved exclusive negotiations with plans for ~22,000 seats, expandable to 40–50K if they move to FBS. Target opening is fall 2026.
Not saying that’s holding them back, but the Hornets have been talking a lot without much visible momentum. President Wood has said it before — you just have to win.
