Local leaders launch effort to get Sacramento State into Pac-12
SACRAMENTO – Could a new committee called Sac 12 be the answer to Sacramento State joining the Pac-12?
Sacramento State is currently an FCS school, in the lower division when it comes to sports. Local politicians and business leaders want to change that, by making it an FBS school to make it on par to potentially join the Pac-12.
They're launching a new committee with a play on words, called the Sac-12.
"I think it might be good for the athletes and considering there's a lot of students here," said Sacramento State student Camilo Guerrero.
It's more than 30,000 student population that's playing a role in local politicians and business leaders pushing to take Sacramento State athletics to the next level. The new committee is mainly comprised of Sacramento State alumni who are now local leaders.
"This is a very unique opportunity for Sacramento State, its alums, but more importantly our city to benefit from the strength of collegiate tourism," said councilmember Eric Guerra, who also served as Sacramento State's former student body president.
"More money for the school, ya know. You get better players, not that they don't have good players now, they've got a heck of a team. A heck of a squad," said Sacramento resident David Smith.
Sacramento State won seven conference championships last year. This push to join the Pac-12 would impact all sports on campus.
The Pac-12 currently only has two teams, Washington State and Oregon State, with several more expected to join come 2026. But they're still looking for two more schools, and Sacramento State could be one of them.
"The only problem that I'm worried [about] is what will it bring when games and stuff happen here? Are [are] we going to even, if there's so many people coming, be able to use the facilities here?" said Sacramento State student Conor Browne.
Sac 12 says its main challenge is the necessary upgrades to university facilities to comply with the criteria to be a Pac-12 school.
"Obviously joining something like the Pac-12, or any western conference, has a facilities challenge. The good thing is we have a lot of partners here to identify facilities to improve. But I think what's important is our city is equipped with hotel rooms and stays for that level of competition," Guerra said.
"We've beat some of these perennial powerhouses in the Pac-12 already. So I think having a designation of being an actual Pac-12 school will draw some of the bigger-name kids that won't want to go to Fresno State. We can keep them home," said former NFL player and Sacramento State football hall of famer Otis Amey.
"It's exciting to see key members of the sacramento community celebrating the success of the Sacramento State athletics program and sharing their interest in helping shape the vision of the future. It makes us proud to be part of such a wonderful, supportive community, and we will continue to support our student-athletes at the highest levels possible," the university said in a statement.
