New $10 Million Home for Sacramento State Basketball a ‘Game Changer’ for Program

The move this season into a new
3,000-seat events center, home for Sacramento State’s men’s and
women’s basketball teams, has finally happened, fueling a new
optimism by sports fans at the university.

When the women’s basketball team
hosted Stanton University on Nov. 3, 2025 at the Hornet Pavilion
— and the men’s team followed a day later against Dominican
University of California — it marked the first time since 1955
those teams played anywhere other than the cozy 1,000-seat Hornet
Gym, known as The Nest, which was considered one of the smallest
facilities in the country occupied by a Division I college
program.

Sacramento State’s first-year coach Mike Bibby, the popular
former Sacramento Kings player, looks on during the Jan. 15 win
over Northern Arizona at the new Hornet Pavilion.

As a result, bigger crowds and a
new home court advantage seems to be emerging, says Mark Orr,
Sacramento State’s athletic director since 2017, citing the men’s
current 6-1 home record at the Pavilion despite a disappointing
6-11 overall season record.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with
the turnout,” Orr says on Jan. 20, noting the men’s team is
averaging 2,604 fans per game — almost three times more than what
was possible in The Nest. “I think our students, our alumni, our
season ticket holders, general fans in Sacramento, and our
faculty and staff have been coming out and supporting the teams
and enjoying a state-of-the-art venue.”

“It’s really a fun atmosphere,
which certainly has had an impact already on recruiting quality
student athletes,” Orr continues. “Student athletes want to
compete in venues that draw good crowds, so it’s been a game
changer for us.”

Sacramento State’s first-year coach Mike Bibby during a timeout
during the Jan. 15 83-69 victory over Northern Arizona.

The new $10 million facility,
located inside The WELL, SSU’s on-campus fitness and health
facility, is accessed by fans from Hornet Stadium, and boasts
significant upgrades other than just increased seating capacity.
The pavilion adds to the vision President Luke Wood, an alum of
Sacramento State, formulated almost from the day he moved into
his new role in July 2023.

State-of-the-art Daktronics video boards are located at each end
of the court at the new Hornet Pavilion.

Along with the new home comes a
new high-profile coach in former Sacramento Kings fan favorite
Mike Bibby. In addition to Bibby, NBA Hall of Famer
Shaquille O’Neal was brought in to be the team’s unpaid general
manager, while his son Shaqir O’Neal transferred from Florida
A&M into the program.

SSU’s Prophet Johnson, who led all scorers with 29 points, with
the ball during the Jan. 15 win over Northern Arizona at the new
Hornet Pavilion.

“It’s a time of a lot of change
here at Sac State basketball, and I feel like it’s a perfect time
for a new venue,” says Chris D. Johnson, sports editor of The
State Hornet, while covering the Jan. 15 win against Northern
Arizona. “The Nest didn’t have the capacity of the Hornet
Pavilion and the new pavilion also creates a more intimate
environment. It gets loud in here.”

Upgrades include a new sound
system and LED lighting, state-of-the-art Daktronics video boards
at each end of the court, and LED ribbon boards along both sides.
New scoreboards were installed at court level, while both
baselines and the opposite sidelines host courtside seating that
brings fans close to the action.

Fans enter the new Hornet Pavilion for a Jan. 15 game.

The courts were re-striped to
include a regulation NCAA basketball court with a new design
depicting the university’s home in California’s state capitol.
The new facility includes a premium suite level and telescopic
bleachers that, when the Hornets are not using the facility, can
be retracted and provide four courts for student use featuring
new retractable backboards and baskets.

The facility continues to be a
work in progress, Orr says, with issues such as bathrooms
currently located outside the main entrance near the food trucks
one of the problems that will be addressed.

Action at the new Hornet Pavilion during the Jan. 15 win over
Northern Arizona.

“I think we need to continue to
invest in making the fan experience better, everything from more
premium seating, and providing more accessible restrooms inside
the building,” he says.

Sacramento State’s volleyball and
gymnastic teams will continue to use The Nest, says Brian Berger,
the Hornets’ Associate Athletic Director for
Communications.

Action at the new Hornet Pavilion during the Jan. 15 win over
Northern Arizona.

Though future events are still in
the planning stage, the facility is designed to host graduation
ceremonies, large-scale campus meetings, and other community
events.

Fans at Hornet Pavilion show their support during the Jan. 15 win
over Northern Arizona, where the men’s team is averaging 2,604
fans per game.

“I encourage your readers to come
out and check out a game, even if you haven’t been on campus in a
while,” Orr says “It’s a great experience. I think people will be
impressed and continue to come back. It’s fan friendly, it’s kid
friendly, and you’re right on the action. It’s not too big, it’s
not too small. I think it’s perfect.”

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New $10 Million Home for Sacramento State Basketball a ‘Game Changer’ for Program

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