MAC, Sacramento State reach college football partnership with a lot of questions originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Mid-American Conference had mostly stayed out of conference realignment.
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The MAC started to shift when UMass came aboard, though, and now the biggest change the conference has ever seen has arrived: Sacramento State.
Yes, as in the capital of California, Sacramento. Exactly the city you think of when you think of “Mid-American.”
According to The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, Sac State will be joining as a football-only member in time for the 2026 season.
Sacramento State had been playing at the FCS level but made clear it wanted to move up to FBS, and now it has a home in the MAC.
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Northern Illinois is leaving the MAC, so this at least balances out the football from a scheduling perspective.
In a conference without a ton of huge road trips, Sacramento State certainly adds a different dimension to MACtion.
What schools are in MAC football with Sacramento State?
The MAC football teams in 2026 will look like this:
It’ll be fascinating to see how the MAC incorporates Sacramento State into its usual second-half, week-night schedule.
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Asking Akron to play in California on a Wednesday night is a lot different than asking Akron to play in Toledo on a Wednesday night.
It’ll certainly create some changes and a lot of novelty, at least for a year. We’ll see how long this lasts.