Sacramento State athletics will be joining the Big West Conference effective July 1, 2026, in everything but football, sources confirmed to CBS Sacramento on Thursday.

With Sacramento State departing the Big Sky Conference after 30 years of participation and entering the Big West Conference starting in July 2026, one might wonder: Does the Big West offer football? In a word: No.

While the Sacramento State football team awaits a ruling from the Division I council regarding its future as an FBS independent, the rest of the athletic department is heading to the Big West Conference.