The NY Times article about Sac is very long so I'll copy and paste it in several, consecutive posts.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One of the hottest football programs in the country resides in a nondescript office building, sharing space with the audiology clinic, nursing school and cardiovascular wellness program. Take the elevator to the third floor, turn left and you’ll find the Sacramento State coaching staff’s offices.

One is occupied by a 37-year-old first-time head coach wearing a gold chain inscribed with “Go-Go” — the name of his offense. Sitting on the desk next to him is his ubiquitous cowboy hat. He knows it’s unusual for a college coach to have tattoos on his hands and neck, but over the years, it became his thing.

“All the young coaches say I’m like the Allen Iverson (of coaching),” he says.

Brennan Marion has been on the job for only six months, but he has already managed to transform a program of modest history into a destination for recruits and transfers who might not have otherwise considered an FCS school. Part of the sales pitch is the aggressive effort by the school, with an enrollment of 31,000 and an alumni base of 280,000, to move up to the FBS level.

The program is expected to spend $4 million on name, image and likeness (NIL) in calendar year 2025, between donations and revenue sharing, according to assistant general manager Chris Parry. Marion’s salary is $750,000, and the program has a $2.7 million staff pool. All three figures are believed to be the highest in the FCS.

Seemingly overnight, long-sleepy Sacramento State has transformed into one of the flashiest athletic departments in college sports.

A men’s basketball program that has never won its conference or played in the NCAA Tournament and, as of last season, played in a 1,012-seat arena, hired former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby as its head coach. He, in turn, brought in NBA great Shaquille O’Neal as the program’s general manager.

Meanwhile, the football program’s recruiting weekends include Power 4-style photo shoots, with players posing next to a Mercedes-Benz GT, and buffet dinners at a ritzy downtown nightclub. This is the same program that did not notch its first FCS playoff win until 2022 (it won one again in ’23) and went 3-9 last season.

Thanks for your summary.

Niko Rocak has been granted a 5th year of eligibility according to a post on the Big West Boards Men's Basketball Forum:

UC Davis has released their 2025-26 roster and there are several changes.
Biggest news is that forward Niko Rocak has been granted a 5th year of eligibility and returns as a graduate. He started 27 games, putting up 5.4 ppg and 6.8 rpg making him one of the more productive returning bigs in the conference. A couple of players who played little last year are no longer on the roster despite not entering the portal; Sion Lose and Marsalis Roberson.

This would be wonderful news if this is indeed the case. Niko is defensive force in the paint and he would be a great, experienced team leader for the Ags with so many new players. He was a workhorse last season since the Ags really didn't have anyone to back him up adequately with Borra out injured for the entire season. We would have some depth at the post now with Niko and the addition of 6'11 transfer Jonathan Noudjihid. I sure hope we get to see Niko play again this fall!

"Source: PAC-12 formally extends membership invitation to Texas State"

Sources confirmed to the Austin Sports Journal late Thursday night that the Pac-12 Conference has formally extended a membership invitation to Texas State University, effective for the 2026–27 academic year.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents called a special meeting for Monday morning to formally accept the invitation.

The invitation follows weeks of speculation regarding Texas State’s potential move to the Pac-12.

University officials are expected to notify the Sun Belt Conference of their intent to depart and will pay a $5 million exit fee, thus meeting the July 1 deadline.

With the addition of Texas State, the rebranded Pac-12 will meet the NCAA’s minimum requirement of eight football-playing members to maintain its Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) status and eligibility for the College Football Playoff.

Whole article here: https://austinsportsjournal.com/2025/06/26/texas-state-formally-invited-to-pac-12/

There is an article in the NY Times about Sac's quest to be FBS. I subscribe to the Times but this article is part of The Athletic which is their sports only subscription. Post up a summary if you can read it. Here is the link:

"Sacramento State is dead set on joining the big time. But what will it take?"

It has money, buzz, Mike Bibby and even Shaq. But does Sacramento State have what it takes to get to the next level?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6454456/2025/06/27/sacramento-state-college-football-fbs/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=10689657&source=dailyemail

Not about recruits but I just saw on KCRA News that TY Johnson is now playing for the Lakers in their summer league.

Wow...scathing opinion video about the whole Sac PAC12 or Bust fiasco...

I didn't think that Rocak had any eligibility left so that might be a mistake. Sione Losé is not listed on the roster either and he has a year of eligibility left. I wonder if he may have left the team or maybe they erroneously listed Rocak instead of Losé on the roster?

The Ags officially announced the signing of CJ Franklin Jr today.

"We're thrilled to welcome CJ to the Aggie family," Les said. "He brings great size and length at the guard position, and he plays with a high motor that we love. CJ is dynamic in the open floor and gives us tremendous flexibility in the backcourt. His ability to defend multiple positions, especially as an elite on-ball defender, sets him apart. CJ's upside is through the roof, and we're excited about his future here at UC Davis."

Franklin Jr., a 6-foot-5 guard from Las Vegas, Nevada, dominated the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) during his lone season at the NJCAA Division I level. He averaged 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 49.4% from the field for the Coyotes. His standout campaign included 17 double-digit scoring efforts, highlighted by a career-high 28 points against Arizona Western College, and 11 multi-steal games, featuring a career-best six steals vs. Phoenix College. Franklin Jr. also showcased his playmaking with 11 games of five or more assists, including a pair of eight-assist performances, and was a consistent presence on the boards from the guard position with 17 games grabbing five or more rebounds, ranking third on the team. His performance during his lone season with the Coyotes earned him ACCAC Freshman of the Year and all-conference accolades in the very competitive ACCAC.

https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2025/6/26/cyril-cj-franklin-jr-to-join-mens-basketball-program.aspx

Short of winning a national championship can’t prove anything new at the FCS level, with this years weak schedule. — Riveraggie

No doubt that Marion has brought in an unprecedented FCS recruiting class. You would think, that with so many FBS transfers with 3 to 5 star ratings, they should dominate their FCS opponents or, as Dr. Wood likes say, "the JV football programs" on their schedule. It's going to be embarrassing for them if they don't.

Click on the image to expand it to see the whole post from Brennan Marion:

You know, it wouldn't really surprise me when you consider the recruits they have brought in, the size of the Sac area media market and apparently the big money that has been promised from deep pockets if they get an invite to the PAC12. I'm not a fan of the "Colorado/ Deion Sanders" style they are following but they just may make it happen.

Great to hear that Kavir Bains got $200K of NIL as a grad transfer to Pitt. These power programs must be flush with cash!

Great conversation with Scott Marsh. I really enjoyed it especially the discussion about Pinnick and the tough schedule we have to start the season with a young QB. Also liked the discussion about all the noise Sac has created across the causeway and it was nice to hear a bit about the new Aggie recruits for men's basketball too and Scott saying that the Ags have "some marquee games" scheduled for this fall. Exciting times for Aggie sports!