Kadeezy
Active member
Might not happen at the speed you (or any of us would like), but bigger and better things for this program and university are happening, and it’s a done deal.
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The PAC/MWC Dominoes Begin to Fall
- Thread starter Kadeezy
- Start date
I am still hopeful but I think going the independent route is a huge mistake. I don't think we have the type of infrastructure to be successful during that transition.
Kadeezy
Active member
Obviously a fluid situation. But I was told to expect an announcement next week.
I have reservations about that route. But I also think of the possibilities of scheduling West Coast teams that are playing the bulk of their games out East who may be begging to have games closer to home. UCLA, Cal and Stanford could be regulars, as opposed to having to play Utah State or Wyoming.
On the one hand, I would love to see games like that but my concern is having 3-4 absolutely terrible seasons to start and then trying to dig out of that hole in the long term. That said, I tend to be pessimistic. Guess that comes with being a long time Sac State and Kings fan.
HeavyistheClown
Active member
No FBS will play at Sac, so all these begging teams will be an away game. After four years of getting beaten down and the record shows it, why would PAC be willing to add a team that has struggled during the transition? Especially from a school with no BBall. By then, the old PAC teams who will be tired of going east will want to come home and rejoin the conference. And just like that, Hornets are forever a FBS Indy.
Ever hear of the saying from women regarding moving with a boyfriend to his new job in a far away location? Not going to do that unless she has a ring on that finger. Same holds true for Hornets, going Indy in the hope that PAC will extend in 3-4 years is a BIG gamble.
Maybe Sac can tap the magic in the bottle that Liberty, Sam Houston and JMU found and knock it out of the park, but these teams had a conference commitment.
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FootballAlum84
Active member
All this Indy talk, and it may be true, but this still leaves the new PAC short a football member that they cannot stay at i imagine more than the ‘25 season and no rumors appear to be coming out about exemption status. Just unsuccessful poaching from AAC and Sun Belt. As much as they may not want an FCS add, at what point are they going to be required to make an add? The MWC sounds pretty locked up with who they have and the poach is done. So regionally they’re running out of options if they can’t get UTSA or Texas State.
In the meantime, should we go Indy AND IF the PAC gets exemption for one season that at least leaves 6 teams (Fresno already on the schedule) in need of another game on the schedule for 2026 which is in our favor. Like a few have said it could be hard to convince those schools to come to us.
Out of curiosity I was looking at liberty’s first Indy season in 2018… they managed a 6/6 split Home and Away, played 2 FCS games and an unusual in season home and home series with New Mexico State.
And will the Causeway officially end if we go FBS? Maybe every once in awhile at best it gets played for nostalgia but definitely a no win situation for us moving forward to play annually. Who becomes the best created rivalry game after that between SJSU, Fresno and UNR?
In the meantime, should we go Indy AND IF the PAC gets exemption for one season that at least leaves 6 teams (Fresno already on the schedule) in need of another game on the schedule for 2026 which is in our favor. Like a few have said it could be hard to convince those schools to come to us.
Out of curiosity I was looking at liberty’s first Indy season in 2018… they managed a 6/6 split Home and Away, played 2 FCS games and an unusual in season home and home series with New Mexico State.
And will the Causeway officially end if we go FBS? Maybe every once in awhile at best it gets played for nostalgia but definitely a no win situation for us moving forward to play annually. Who becomes the best created rivalry game after that between SJSU, Fresno and UNR?
FUCD is in the MWC, they will have a true FBS stadium and conference before we do.
They said the same thing when Sac went to FCS with no infrastructual improvements made and fucd was still D2 and now look at the scenario.
Kadeezy
Active member
Here would be a potential fun 2026 Indy Schedule with PAC/MWC and Cali/School/CSU flavor...
9/5/26 Vs. UC Davis (Our year to host, they might be MWC by '27)
9/12/26 @ Fresno State (Game is already scheduled)
9/19/26 Vs. SJSU (CSU strongarms the Spartans into a short travel week)
9/26/26 @Stanford (Looking for payback and a home game to minimize travel costs, we're invited back to the Farm)
10/3/26 @Wazzu
10/10/26 vs. Tarleton State (Homecoming game vs. another program transitioning to FBS, probably)
10/17/26 @ UMASS (long trip to fellow Indy that thinks they might clip us for a W)
10/24/26 BYE
10/31/26 @ Oregon State (Hornets are 1-0 against the Beavers since 2011!)
11/7/26 vs. San Diego State (CSU forces another school to take the short trip to us as we transition)
11/14/26 @Colorado State (Lost to us 41-10 in 2022)
11/21/26 @ Utah State
11/28/26 @ Boise State
9/5/26 Vs. UC Davis (Our year to host, they might be MWC by '27)
9/12/26 @ Fresno State (Game is already scheduled)
9/19/26 Vs. SJSU (CSU strongarms the Spartans into a short travel week)
9/26/26 @Stanford (Looking for payback and a home game to minimize travel costs, we're invited back to the Farm)
10/3/26 @Wazzu
10/10/26 vs. Tarleton State (Homecoming game vs. another program transitioning to FBS, probably)
10/17/26 @ UMASS (long trip to fellow Indy that thinks they might clip us for a W)
10/24/26 BYE
10/31/26 @ Oregon State (Hornets are 1-0 against the Beavers since 2011!)
11/7/26 vs. San Diego State (CSU forces another school to take the short trip to us as we transition)
11/14/26 @Colorado State (Lost to us 41-10 in 2022)
11/21/26 @ Utah State
11/28/26 @ Boise State
HornetFootballFan
Active member
In a different historical climate I’d be worried too!
However right now everything is Fluid. This is the only opportunity that we have.
If we sit quietly doing the FCS status quo. We will be stuck there for 10-15 more years possibly!
We have a great window! If we were already FBS we would have already been chosen, both PAC & MWC are still not at a strong long term size.
Both of these conferences I believe at minimum would like at least 10 to 12 FB playing teams each!
BuckeyeHornetFan
Active member
Care to show your work here?
Last I checked their stadium capacity is around 10K. When is the upgrade happening?
oldrunner
Active member
You can 'intermingle' donations until the cows come home. Money coming from the State or from the athletic budget of those moneys could certainly be ear marked. If some doner is willing to give you millions to go FBS, and it's the amount you say it is, I don't see the problem. Unless, of course, there really is no money.
FootballAlum84
Active member
Kadeezy
Active member
This tweet was a knee-jerk post responding to all the SAC news and renderings. Most UCD posters decried the approach, preferring that UCD either go all-in like SAC or just shut up and work behind the scenes (which seems like what they have done since).
As far as actual facility improvements, SAC is much farther along with Populous than UCD is - this post is just a picture of a paper rendering of what expansion might look like from an early 2000s proposal binder.
Not even sure that expansion picture gets the FUCD stadium above 20k seats anyways.
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FUCD prints money, they wont have any issue raising funds to build out at once.
BuckeyeHornetFan
Active member
Then why have they been biding their time?
I keep hearing how wealthy UCD is, yet they still reside in FCS after all these decades and still only have a 10K seat stadium with no reported immediate plans otherwise.
Why aren't they Texas, Alabama or Ohio State already?? Somebody riddle me that.
BuckeyeHornetFan
Active member
Exactly right.
They may be a prestigious medical university, among other disciplines, but when it comes to athletics -- they'll never have the ability to be what Sac State can be IF the Hornets get there first.
UCD is 30 miles outside of Downtown and in another county. The regional fan allegiance goes to the green and gold unless they continue to sit on their hands and get nothing done. And for the moment, it seems like they are trying to take advantage of increased interest.
HeavyistheClown
Active member
Here is the riddle, why would a FCS team leave a perfect conference for FCS? Why move to MWC, when they had everything they need for cost containment FCS?
Because they are moving up.
