The Sacramento State Hornets football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the California State University, Sacramento located in Sacramento, California. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and are currently members of the Mid-American Conference, beginning 1 July 2026.
The school's first football team was fielded in 1954. The team plays its home games at the 21,195-seat Hornet Stadium. The Sacramento State Hornets football team drew an average home attendance of 13,348 in 2023.
Beginning in the 2026âÂÂ27 school year, Sacramento State will become a full member of the Big West Conference, a conference that does not sponsor football. The Hornets agreed to a five-year membership with the Mid-American Conference as a football-only member, allowing the team to transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) beginning July 1, 2026.
In 1954, Dave Strong was named the first football coach for the Hornets football program. The program's first victory came in their second season, in 1955, when the Hornets defeated Southern Oregon by a point. Sacramento State was first affiliated with the Northern California Athletic Conference, from 1954 through 1984; the conference was known as the Far Western Conference until 1982. The Hornets were then members of the Western Football Conference from 1985 through 1992. In 1993, Sacramento State move the American West Conference, and then to the Big Sky Conference in 1996. Hornet Stadium has been home to the football team since 1969.
The Hornets have participated in two bowl games, the Pasadena Bowl in 1968 against Grambling State, where the Hornets lost, 34âÂÂ7, and the Camellia Bowl in 1964, where Montana State defeated the Hornets, 28âÂÂ7.
One of Sac State's most notable wins came on September 3, 2011, in the season opener against the Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-12 Conference at Reser Stadium. The Hornets upset the Beavers in overtime, 29âÂÂ28 with a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Jeff Flemming to wide receiver Brandyn Reed, beating an AQ conference team for the first time in school history in front of an announced crowd of 41,581. The Beavers were a 23-point favorite coming into the game. Four weeks after the win over Oregon State, the Hornets defeated FCS national power Montana, the program's first win ever over the Grizzlies, on September 24, 2011. Hornets defeated the then No. 10 ranked Grizzlies by a score of 42âÂÂ28 in Hornet Stadium.
On September 8, 2012, Sac State defeated Colorado Buffaloes of the Pac-12 conference, at Folsom Field as 20-point underdogs. Colorado jumped to an early 14âÂÂ0 start but the Hornets quickly answered back with a pair of touchdown passes from Hornets quarterback Garrett Safron and a 2-yard rushing touchdown by A.J. Ellis to lead 21âÂÂ14 over the Buffaloes. Sac State led 24âÂÂ21 during intermission. With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter and down 28âÂÂ27, Hornet's walk-on kicker, Edgar Castenada, made the 31-yard field goal winning kick for a final score of 30âÂÂ28. After the game, Hornets head coach Marshall Sperbeck announced in the locker room that Sacramento State has offered Castendada a scholarship. This marked a consecutive year in which Sac State faced an AQ conference school (both in the Pac-12 conference) as heavy underdogs on the road and walked out with victories.
The Sacramento State football team were ranked for the first time ever in school history at the end of the 2019 season when they placed No. 3 nationally in both the STATS and the Coaches polls. Sacramento State was also ranked as the No. 4 team in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS playoff bracket, receiving a first-week bye in their road to the finals. The 2019 season was a major milestone in the teams' history as the season brought Sacramento State its first-ever Big Sky Conference Championship, its fifth conference title overall, and its first-ever appearance in the FCS playoffs. Prior to the 2019 season, Sacramento State was never ranked at the end of any season but had won four conference titles.
The Sacramento State football team would set numerous school records for the 2022 season. On September 24, 2022, the Hornets defeated Colorado State 41âÂÂ10 at Canvas Stadium, making this their largest victory by margin over an FBS team. The 2022 team went on to go undefeated in the regular season for the first time in school history, finishing 11âÂÂ0, alongside setting a record for most wins in a season at 12. The team also achieved the highest rankings in the major FCS polls, reaching as high as No. 2 in both the STATS and the Coaches Polls. They would set a school record for highest attendance for a football game, winning the Causeway Classic over UC Davis 27âÂÂ21 in their regular season home finale with an official crowd of 23,073. They also clinched their first FCS playoff victory over Richmond in the NCAA Division I Second Round.
The Hornets made one appearance in the Division II Playoffs. Their record was 2âÂÂ1.
The Hornets have made four appearances in the FCS Playoffs, with a combined record of 2âÂÂ4.
The Hornets plays the rival UC Davis Aggies, annually and usually the last game of the regular season. This rivalry game is known as The Causeway Classic, and each team competes for the Causeway Trophy, referring to the fact that the schools are connected by the long Yolo Causeway bridge over Yolo Bypass flood way. UC Davis leads the series 46âÂÂ23. This game has drawn crowds up to 23,000 in the Hornet Stadium, and is widely popular in the local area.
While not commemorated with a trophy, Cal Poly and Sacramento State are designated as 'protected rivals' in scheduling by the Big Sky Conference, meaning they are guaranteed to play each other in foreseeable schedules. From 1967 to 2024, the Mustangs and Hornets have met 43 times, Cal Poly leads the series, 22âÂÂ21.
Other notable rivalries includes Portland State, Eastern Washington University, Weber State, the Montana schools, Montana, Montana State and Big Sky conference foes. Also, regional rival Pacific before they discontinued their football program in 1995.
The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). It was established in 1987.
Notable alumni include:
Announced schedules as of March 9, 2026.
The MAC plays 8 conference games, which leaves 4 games for non-conference opponents.
Hawaii announced they will host Sacramento State on November 28, 2026.