Sacramento State is doing something it has never done before. This fall, the Hornets are competing in the Mid-American Conference — a power-adjacent football league that puts Sacramento State on national television multiple times a month and on the same schedule as programs like Toledo, Ohio, and Kent State. For the first time in school history, catching a Hornets home game means watching MAC-level college football play out in your own city, on a campus that most Sacramentans drive past without thinking twice.
There are three home games remaining in the 2026 season. All three are at Hornet Stadium. All three end with post-game fireworks. Here is what to know before you go.
The Games
The first is the biggest: October 17, homecoming weekend, against Ohio University. The MAC has had Ohio in its ranks since the conference’s founding in 1946. This is a classic MAC program coming to Sacramento, and it doubles as Sacramento State’s Parent and Family Weekend — meaning the stadium will be full and the atmosphere will be livelier than a typical regular-season Saturday. Kickoff time is to be announced.
Two weeks later, on October 30, Kent State visits Hornet Stadium. This one has a specific start time: 7:30 PM. It will be nationally broadcast on ESPN2 — Sacramento State in primetime on a Friday night on a major network. The evening is themed Healthcare Appreciation and AANHPI Heritage Night. Post-game fireworks follow.
The final home game of the season falls on November 4, a Wednesday evening, against Toledo. Toledo is one of the MAC’s most consistent programs and a regular bowl team. The game will air on ESPN2, ESPNU, or CBS Sports Network. The evening honors 916 Community and Native American Heritage Day. Kickoff time is still to be announced; check hornetsports.com for updates.
Why It Is Worth Going
College football at the MAC level is not the SEC, but that is part of what makes it accessible. Hornet Stadium holds roughly 21,000 fans. On a weekday night in October, the sightlines are clear and the parking situation is manageable in ways that Golden 1 Center never is. Tickets are purchased through AXS, available directly at hornetsports.com, with student pricing available for Sacramento State students through the university’s portal.
The MAC move also gives context that matters if you follow the team. Sacramento State left the Big Sky — a conference it dominated for years, winning multiple FCS championships — to make a jump to the Football Bowl Subdivision. The MAC is an FBS conference, which means the Hornets are now competing for bowl eligibility rather than playoff contention. That transition creates games with real stakes and national exposure that the Big Sky never offered.
And the fireworks are a genuine bonus. Three of the final four home games end with a post-game show over Hornet Stadium. For families, that alone makes the October 17 homecoming game worth considering as a fall evening outing.
The Details
- Home stadium: Hornet Stadium at Sacramento State, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819
- October 17: vs. Ohio | Homecoming / Parent & Family Weekend | Post-game fireworks | Time TBA
- October 30: vs. Kent State | Friday, 7:30 PM | ESPN2 | Post-game fireworks
- November 4: vs. Toledo | Wednesday evening | ESPN2/ESPNU/CBSSN | Post-game fireworks | Time TBA
- Tickets: Available at hornetsports.com via AXS; student tickets available through the Sacramento State student portal
- Clear bag policy: In effect. Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and no larger than 12 in x 6 in x 12 in. One small clutch purse (4.5 in x 6.5 in) also permitted.
- Parking: On-campus lots are available; check the Sacramento State parking website for event pricing and lot locations
Bottom Line
Sacramento State’s move to the MAC is a genuine inflection point for local college football. The remaining schedule — an Ohio homecoming game, a Friday night ESPN2 broadcast against Kent State, and a mid-week nationally televised clash with Toledo — offers Sacramento residents something unusual: MAC-level college football in their backyard, on national television, at an outdoor stadium with post-game fireworks. If you have never been to Hornet Stadium, fall 2026 is a reasonable year to start.
For more fall events around Sacramento, see our guides to the Sacramento Kings’ fall home game schedule, the California International Marathon in December, and the Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park.
