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Football
2/9/2026 2:00:00 PM







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DAVIS, Calif. — The Mountain West Conference announced today its updated membership model. The announcement includes the addition of North Dakota State as a football-only member and confirms UC Davis will join the conference as all-sport members outside of football beginning July 1, 2026.

Following this announcement, UC Davis Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca issued the following statement regarding the future of the football program:

“UC Davis is proud to be an affiliate member of the Big Sky Conference in football, and our focus remains on building and sustaining one of the premier programs in the FCS. Our progress is evident in back-to-back FCS quarterfinal appearances, a program record of 32 consecutive weeks ranked in the national Top 25, and national recognition for our fan support, including a top-five FCS ranking last season in average home attendance as a percentage of stadium capacity.

We continue to invest in what it takes to compete for Big Sky Championships and take the next step in the FCS Playoffs, while enhancing the student-athlete experience and the game-day environment. As our department prepares to join the Mountain West in 2026–27 for most sports, football’s path remains unchanged. We are fully focused on competing at the highest level of the FCS within the Big Sky Conference.

A key part of that work is driving sustainable revenue growth that supports our football program and advances our stadium and facilities priorities. Those efforts allow us to strengthen our competitiveness today while thoughtfully positioning UC Davis for future opportunities in an evolving collegiate athletics landscape.”

2026 IS COMING: UC Davis Football opens 2026 on Aug. 29 when they visit Portland State for what doubles as its Big Sky Conference opener. The Aggies open home on Sept. 19 when Stetson visits UC Davis Health Stadium and the Aggies will welcome Montana, Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado, Utah Tech and Cal Poly to Shredville during the season. Season tickets, group tickets and single game tickets will go on sale at a date and time to be announced.

 

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.