New MAC Team in 2026

There has been plenty of conference realignment in the last few years. There is one team joining the MAC in 2026. Here is the new MAC team in 2026.

Sacramento State Hornets

Previous Conference: Big Sky Conference (FCS)

City: Sacramento, California

Sacramento State started playing football in 1954. They were classified as a Division-II team starting in 1973. In 1993, Sacramento State moved up to the FCS level (at the time I-AA). The Hornets played in two bowl games in the 1960s and had four appearances in the FCS playoffs from 2019-2023.

In the FBS, the Hornets will play in the MAC after cutting a deal with the conference. Northern Illinois left the conference in football to compete in the Mountain West. While Sacramento State doesn’t fit the conference geographically, they decided to join to move up to the Division I level.

Alonzo Carter is taking over as head coach for the program after Brennan Marion left to be the offensive coordinator at Colorado. He has been a head coach at the high school and JUCO level, but has been an assistant at the FBS and FCS level. The Hornets may have a tough time competing early, as they only return four starters and will have to travel a lot during their first season.

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