FBS membership grew to 138 teams, with Sacramento State and North Dakota State making the jump from the FCS on Wednesday. Sacramento State joins the MAC after Northern Illinois departed for the Mountain West, while North Dakota State — the most successful FCS program of the past 15 years — follows Northern Illinois into a revamped Mountain West.
Traditionally, teams moving from the FCS to the FBS faced a two-year transition period that made them ineligible for bowl games and the College Football Playoff. However, the Division I Cabinet approved legislation last month eliminating those restrictions, making Sacramento State and North Dakota State immediately eligible for postseason play if they finish 6-6 and help fulfill one of their conference’s bowl commitments.
Last year, Delaware and Missouri State joined Conference USA from the FCS and initially were ineligible for the postseason. Both programs were later granted eligibility after reaching six wins in their first FBS seasons.
Here’s what you need to know about Sacramento State and North Dakota State entering the 2026 season and how both programs could fare in their first year at the FBS level.
Sacramento State Hornets
Head coach: Alonzo Carter (0-0 as a Division I head coach)
2025 results: 7-5 (missed FCS Playoffs)
Program resume: 330–414–8 overall, three Big Sky championships (2019, 2021 and 2022) and four FCS playoff appearances.
Notable alumni: Ryan Coogler, Cameron Skattebo, Lester Holt, Rhys Hoskins
Sacramento State has been trying to make the jump from the FCS to the FBS for several years. Momentum started building in 2019 when the Hornets hired Troy Taylor, who led the program to its first FCS playoff appearance. Taylor guided Sacramento State to two more playoff berths before leaving for Stanford following the 2022 season.
Around a year after Sacramento State reached the FCS playoffs for the third time in four years, a group of local supporters known as the “Sac-12” launched a failed grassroots campaign to gain membership into the rebuilt Pac-12 conference.
Sacramento State then pivoted to pursuing FBS membership as an independent. That effort failed. After leaving the Big Sky and facing the possibility of competing as an FCS independent in 2026, the Hornets went all-in on an FBS move by joining the MAC. Sacramento State will pay an $18 million fee to make the jump.
Sacramento State will be led by first-year coach Alonzo Carter, who most recently served as associate head coach and running backs coach at Arizona under Brent Brennan. Carter has never been a Division I head coach, but his extensive Northern California ties made him the top candidate for the job.
The Hornets open the season Aug. 29 at Eastern Michigan before hosting North Dakota State on Sept. 19. Notably, Sacramento State avoids reigning MAC champion Western Michigan this season. With quarterback Carson Conklin leading the offense, the Hornets could compete for a bowl berth if everything breaks their way in Year 1.
North Dakota State Bison
Head coach: Tim Polasek (26-3 overall, 4-1 in FCS Playoffs)
2025 results: 12-1 (lost in the second round of the FCS Playoffs)
Program resume: 811-385-34 overall, 10 FCS national titles, five Division II national titles and 12 Missouri Valley Conference titles.
Notable alumni: Carson Wentz, Doug Burgum, Gus Bradley, Bob Backlund
It always seemed to be a matter of when, not if, North Dakota State would join the FBS. The Bison have been the premier FCS program over the past 15 years and likely would have been competitive at the FBS level had they made the move a decade ago.
North Dakota State’s résumé is unmatched among FCS programs. The Bison have won 10 FCS national championships since 2011, including five consecutive titles from 2011-15. They have also produced 21 NFL Draft picks since transitioning to Division I in 2004, highlighted by Carson Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in 2016, and Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall selection in 2021.
Since winning their first FCS national championship in 2011, the Bison have had four head coaches. Craig Bohl left after the 2013 season to take the Wyoming job after leading North Dakota State to three national titles. Chris Klieman went on to win four more championships before leaving for Kansas State in 2019.
Since then, the program has had two coaches, both of whom won national championships. Matt Entz captured titles in 2019 and 2021 before leaving to become an assistant at USC. Current coach Tim Polasek led the Bison to the 2024 national championship.
North Dakota State is expected to contend immediately in the Mountain West and should be bowl eligible in its first FBS season. The Bison are 9-5 against FBS opponents since transitioning to Division I, a stretch highlighted by their upset of then-No. 13 Iowa in 2016.
