Latest news with #BigSkyConference
Reuters
2 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Sacramento State plans to play in FBS in '26 despite NCAA denial
June 26 - At the very least, Sacramento State football is determined, vowing to move from the FCS level to FBS in 2026 even though the NCAA Division I council denied a waiver this week for the program to move up a level. Since 2024, Sacramento State has expressed a desire to move into college football's highest level, with original hopes of moving into a reconfigured Pac-12 Conference that was set to return to action in 2026 with five Mountain West Conference programs. But the Hornets program did not receive an invitation for its football program to join an existing conference. Instead, the Hornets launched a plan to leave the Big Sky Conference for the Big West Conference in all sports but football and have its football team play as an FBS independent in 2026. While the NCAA has nixed that plan, at least for the time being, the school plans on moving forward anyway. "We still plan to be playing FBS football in 2026," Sacramento State president Luke Wood posted on X after the NCAA denied the school's waiver request. "Sacramento State has met every meaningful benchmark for FBS membership, and we believe our university, our students, and the entire Sacramento region deserve major college football," Wood wrote. As part of its plan to move its football program to the FBS level, Sacramento State has proposed a 25,000-seat football stadium. Its current football venue, at just over 21,000 seats, is configured with temporary stands. The Hornets also secured a deal to move its men's and women's basketball games into the Sacramento Kings' home arena for 2026. On the football field last season, Sacramento State did not fit the bill of an FBS team with a 3-9 record. The Hornets did go 8-5 in 2023 and won a first-round game in the FCS playoffs. --Field Level Media
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Southern Utah, Utah Tech moving to Big Sky Conference in 2026
FARMINGTON, Utah — Southern Utah and Utah Tech will join the Big Sky Conference as full members starting with the 2026-27 academic year. The additions announced Wednesday will give the conference 11 full members following Sacramento State's departure for the Big West in all sports except football. 'The time is right for the Big Sky to bring in Utah Tech and to bring back Southern Utah,' Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a statement. 'The addition of rising rival athletic departments from these two universities, located squarely within our geographic footprint in the western United States, reinforce the long-term stability and success of our league. '
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Southern Utah, Utah Tech moving to Big Sky Conference in 2026
FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) — Southern Utah and Utah Tech will join the Big Sky Conference as full members starting with the 2026-27 academic year. The additions announced Wednesday will give the conference 11 full members following Sacramento State's departure for the Big West in all sports except football. 'The time is right for the Big Sky to bring in Utah Tech and to bring back Southern Utah,' Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a statement. 'The addition of rising rival athletic departments from these two universities, located squarely within our geographic footprint in the western United States, reinforce the long-term stability and success of our league. ' The losses of Southern Utah and Utah Tech leaves the Western Athletic Conference with five members following the departures of Seattle, Grand Canyon and Utah Valley. Both schools will remains in the WAC until moving to the Big Sky. The Big Sky also has two football affiliate members, Cal Poly and UC Davis, along with men's golf affiliate Francis Marion, which joins the league on July 1. ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Southern Utah, Utah Tech moving to Big Sky Conference in 2026
FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) — Southern Utah and Utah Tech will join the Big Sky Conference as full members starting with the 2026-27 academic year. The additions announced Wednesday will give the conference 11 full members following Sacramento State's departure for the Big West in all sports except football. Advertisement 'The time is right for the Big Sky to bring in Utah Tech and to bring back Southern Utah,' Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a statement. 'The addition of rising rival athletic departments from these two universities, located squarely within our geographic footprint in the western United States, reinforce the long-term stability and success of our league. " The losses of Southern Utah and Utah Tech leaves the Western Athletic Conference with five members following the departures of Seattle, Grand Canyon and Utah Valley. Both schools will remains in the WAC until moving to the Big Sky. The Big Sky also has two football affiliate members, Cal Poly and UC Davis, along with men's golf affiliate Francis Marion, which joins the league on July 1. ___ AP sports:
Reuters
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Sacramento State to join Big West in 2026, except for football
June 19 - Sacramento State will leave the Big Sky Conference to join the Big West Conference beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, the school announced this week. Sacramento State officials have sought a waiver for the Hornets' football program to leave the Football Championship Subdivision for the Football Bowl Subdivision. On Monday, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee delivered its recommendation that the Division I Council should not support the request. The council's formal decision has yet to be made. In the meantime, Sacramento State will move all its other sports, most notably men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball, to the Big West. The Hornets previously were an affiliate member of the Big West for baseball from 1996-2002. The rest of the conference includes California Baptist, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Cal State Northridge (CSUN), UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and Utah Valley. The Big Sky will drop to nine members, mostly concentrated in Washington state, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. --Field Level Media
