A 2,177-Mile Commute
The logistics are striking.
If the move is finalized, the Hornets’ nearest conference opponent would be Western Michigan Broncos, located 2,177 miles away by car. The addition would stretch the MAC’s footprint thousands of miles westward, turning what was once a tightly clustered Midwestern league into a bi-coastal experiment.
And there is a catch. Should Sacramento State complete the transition, the program would be ineligible for postseason play for two seasons — a standard requirement for teams reclassifying to the FBS level.
Realignment’s Relentless Tide
Sacramento State would not be alone in chasing a new competitive horizon. The North Dakota State Bison, another Big Sky powerhouse, recently made its own conference leap to the Mountain West.
In today’s college football landscape, conference lines move like shifting sand. Television contracts, media markets and competitive ambition often outweigh maps and mileage.
For Sacramento State, the gamble is clear: pay the price, brave the distance, endure a temporary postseason blackout — and stake a claim in a bigger arena.
The MAC, long rooted in the heartland, may soon have a new outpost on the West Coast.
