Sacramento State, which has had some of the most downtrodden athletic facilities in the country, is upgrading its football home, Hornet Stadium, to a 25,000-seat multiuse venueexpected to be completed by the fall of 2027. It’s estimated to cost as much as $300 million, which Wood confirms will be funded by money allocated to the athletic department, as well as sponsorships and donor pledges.

How do people write this stuff and not ask any follow up questions? At least here it's 2027 instead of the 2026 Wood claims elsewhere. When is construction starting? What will it actually cost? Where is the final design? Specifically, in exact dollars, how is it actually being funded? It's all vaporware that media just take at face value.

Interesting read. I think that's the first time we've seen a realistic estimate for stadium cost ($300 million). Still no details about how to plausibly pay for it, beyond hand waving and promises of future fundraising.

Agreed settling and letting Sac in may be the most likely to avoid the litigation. "All right, fine, if you want to fail so bad, so hard, be our guest"

Not an expert on the legal landscape here but it seems like an uphill battle when you're arguing you have a legal right to a waiver in a process like this

There are things in the works that I can't go into detail on right now but our full expectation is that we will be making the move to FBS in the near future.

Yes "things are in the works" just like getting into the Pac-12 was in the works, or getting into the MWC was in the works, or going FBS independent was in the works. NOW things are REALLY in the works! Trust us!

We’re full steam ahead and we still plan to be playing FBS football in 2026.

What does that even mean? They will just play an FBS schedule as an FCS independent? That is the plan? No conference, no postseason? Just a vagabond team of misfits playing exhibitions?

He couldn't bluff his way to construction starting this offseason on a new stadium so he's punting to next year and hoping some sugar daddy writes a $200 million check I guess?

Wood needs an editor - it's too long, too casual, too desperate. He forgets he's supposed to be a University President. And this:

a new 25,000 seat multi-use stadium opening in 2026

What on earth is he talking about?? The bathroom upgrade?

We don't know that the MWC ever had any real interest in Sac, no?

Going to be interesting to see how many of their new recruits are still on board with normal FCS Big Sky football

Any Luke Wood comment on this yet? Can't see recent posts without being logged in

Good for the committee to impose some basic minimal standards here. Of course it's a horrible idea for Sac to go FBS independent with no money, no history of success, inadequate facilities, no apparent prospects for conference affiliation, and no similar peers in the west to help with scheduling.

CSU also has immediate short term budget problems. Somehow I doubt that Sac is immune from the budget cuts that are biting Fresno State hard.

It's all vaporware so far but national media pick up the self-generated hype and run with it without learning much more about realities on the ground.

Yes they are still looking for an 8th school. I think general consensus is Sac is not a contender.

I thought it was $50 million. What happened to that?

They can run off an equivalent number

Exactly. They're not going to have the money to match any of those schools and no point to us doing them any favors if they won't continue the home and home series.

I think it is clear we will likely plan to be no more than a few years behind Sac in moving up, so I expect the series would continue uninterrupted. We have leverage to continue to get Sac to come to Davis, as they under any circumstances will want to keep the home game with us. It will be a huge challenge for them to get home games period, and until they get Fresno at home, we will likely be the biggest draw of the year. It is in the interest of both schools to keep the series going uninterrupted.

Is he saying $800k is supposed to be such a huge amount of money that it represents "cashing in"??? Moving up to FBS is going to cost a hell of a lot more than $800k per year.

"New stadium will be in place for 2026, latest 2027" :lol:

They would need to be building it now to keep to his stated timeline! They don't have a plan, to say nothing of actual funding for said plan, to say nothing of building approvals to get shovels in the ground. This is ridiculous.