MISSOULA — Sacramento State announced Wednesday that it intends to withdraw from the Big Sky Conference, effective June 30, 2026.
The Hornets will join The Big West as a full member beginning in the 2026-27 academic year.
"Joining The Big West is a bold step forward for Sacramento State and our intercollegiate athletics program," Sacramento State president Dr. Luke Wood said in a news release. "This move reflects the passion and perseverance of our entire university community.
"We believe deeply in the power of athletics to transform lives and are proud to align ourselves with a conference that shares our core values of excellence, integrity and student-centered growth."
The Big West does not feature football in its conference sports, and Sac State's announcement did not mention football. However, multiple reports Tuesday night said Sac State plans to play next season as an FCS independent.
The announcement is the latest in a series of moves as Sac State has angled to move to the FBS level. Wood called the FCS "essentially JV" during a Reddit Q&A in April, and the university filed a waiver to become an FBS independent after failing to receive an invitation from an FBS conference.
That waiver appears likely to be denied after the NCAA Football Oversight Committee provided to the Division I Council a recommendation not to support the request. Sac State finished 3-9 overall last season, going 1-7 in Big Sky play.
"We are thrilled to become a full member of The Big West and are grateful for the invitation," Sac State director of athletics Mark Orr added in the release. "Sacramento State strives to provide our student-athletes the opportunity to be in the best position to be nationally competitive, and The Big West for decades has been a conference that has enjoyed national success in several sports.
"We are eager to compete for championships, enhance existing rivalries and develop new relationships with our peer conference members. "
Sacramento State has been an affiliate member of The Big West in men's soccer since 2012, beach volleyball since 2015 and men's golf since 2024. The Hornets were also an affiliate member of the conference in baseball from 1996-2002.
A total of 16 Sac State teams will compete for Big West championships beginning in the 2026-27 season in the sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, beach volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field and women's volleyball.
The Hornets will officially join The Big West on July 1, 2026, joining a lineup that includes California Baptist, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, CSUN, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and Utah Valley.
With Sac State's departure, the Big Sky Conference will be left with nine full members: Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State and Weber State. Cal Poly and UC Davis are affiliate members in football.
"Given the expected nature of this development, the league’s membership already has begun a strategic process to determine its best course of action moving forward," the Big Sky Conference said in a statement issued Wednesday.
