Sac State President Luke Wood addresses school's athletics future amid FBS bid
SACRAMENTO — It's been the biggest sports story in California's capital city heading into 2025: the fate of Sacramento State athletics.
The Hornets have big hopes to transition to a higher level of competition with brand-new facilities for several programs. Spearheading the charge is Sac State President Dr. Luke Wood.
Imagine the Sacramento River Cats suddenly jumping into the MLB. That's the plan Dr. Wood has for Sac State, taking the school's football program from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, which is the highest in college football.
These plans are complicated and confusing, but Dr. Wood is finally being fully transparent with his vision. He is telling anyone who listens, including NCAA President Charlie Baker, how the Hornets are buzzing to the top.
"I am not sure everyone knows what the gem Sacramento State is," Wood said in a one-on-one interview with CBS News Sacramento.
From a top 20 TV market to a winning product on the field, Sac State is starting to check the boxes when it comes to moving to the FBS level. But what would a move look like?
"For any university that wants to transition from FCS to FBS, it is a $5 million fee," Wood said. "Now, separately from that, you can have a conference you are in and there is normally an exit fee out of that conference."
It would also include being ineligible for the postseason for two years. The next question: Where will the $5 million come from?
Wood said the student government is involved in the process and recently reached a vote that provided half of that amount in a cost recovery structure.
"Athletics is funded primarily - not solely - but primarily on philanthropy and dollars from student fees. These are dollars that students voted for that can only be spent on what they are voting for," he said. "There was an increase that the students supported unanimously but our student fee advisory committee that deals specifically with athletic facilities, which is how we are moving forward with the stadium."
Wood said the construction of the new stadium will be a three-phase project. The first is the pre-build phase which will take place during the upcoming 2025 season.
"[Fans] will come back and there will be about $5 million worth of upgrades to the existing infrastructure," he said. "Most of those upgrades are things that would stay with the stadium [through future construction], so a new lighting system, we've got new ribbon boards, we've got new seating that we're putting into place. We're painting all of the stands on both sides. We're moving the camera angles."
The second phase will consist of the construction of the upgraded stands and boxes. The stadium will be upgraded to feature 25,000 seats, which Wood said is the most the current site at Sac State can handle.
Then, Wood said that the third phase, which will occur between 2027 and 2029, will add more traditional stadium features like overhangs and a new front entrance.
"The stadium will be solid. It will be at the level of what we would expect for FBS... and it will have a fan experience that is bar none," he said.
Wood noted that the university is committed to spending between $95-100 million on the new project, with other funding coming from private sources including alumni.
"We have alumni who are willing to spend on football, and Sac-12's campaign around NIL shows that we're a football town now," Wood said.
Wood said other facilities like baseball and softball are currently not up to the same standard, but they will be by 2026.
"We are redoing our intramural fields right now. We are looking for changes for baseball and softball. The stadium project is not only for football, but also for men's and women's rugby, men's and women's soccer," he said. "And then the Well project, which will be done in April, is for men's and women's basketball, gymnastics, volleyball and for our Combat U programs."
On whether Sac State will join a conference like the Pac-12 or the Mountain West, or if the university will opt to become independent, Wood said it will come down to whatever is best for students.
"What is going to give them the highest level of exposure and what is going to allow them to play the best competition out there," Wood said. "I cannot divulge yet what we are doing but I will say that within the next two months, the public will know where Sacramento State lands, and I see FBS on our horizon."
Moving to the FBS will increase revenue — including Name, Image and Likeness — for the school and its athletics department. It will also increase enrollment within the school and take the Hornets from a small state school to a national brand seen all throughout the country.
