By Williamena Kwapo and Larry Hicks | OBSERVER Staff Writers
Against the backdrop of a major reordering of college athletics nationally, Sacramento State announced ambitious plans for a state-of-the-art, multi-use sports and entertainment complex to replace 55-year-old Hornet Stadium.
The announcement Sept. 26 was made by Sac State President Luke Wood, Athletics Director Mark Orr, and football coach Andy Thompson.
The new stadium is expected to seat more than 25,000 people, an increase from the stadium’s current capacity of 21,000. In addition to football, it will serve as home to the university’s soccer and rugby teams, as well as professional and international competitions, concerts, and NCAA championships. The new venue also will be a key location for major university events such as commencement and convocation ceremonies.
“It’s been a plan for the campus for some time to get a new football stadium,” Dr. Wood said during a press conference. “[Former university] President [Robert S.] Nelsen put a plan into place before I got here and we’ve since expanded that plan significantly because we wanted to include more sports like soccer, rugby and others.”
The facility will be designed by Populous, a Missouri-based architecture firm renowned for its work on iconic venues such as Yankee Stadium, Oracle Park, and Wimbledon Centre Court. In keeping with Sac State’s vision, the stadium will feature a weather-protective covering, enhancing its usability in inclement conditions.
Sacramento State anticipates releasing a detailed project timeline in the coming weeks, but disclosed that construction is set to begin at the end of the current football season. As for when the stadium will be fully operational, specifics still are forthcoming, though the university has indicated that the project will move swiftly once ground is broken.
“There are students who are on our team right now who we believe will be able to play at the new stadium,” Dr. Wood said.
Orr said the project’s estimated cost is between $200 million and $250 million, though it’s currently not finalized. Orr added that the final budget and costs will be confirmed in the next few weeks. The project will be funded entirely through philanthropic gifts that include sponsorships and donor contributions. Dr. Wood emphasized that no funds will come from the university’s general budget, and no other campus programs will be affected.
Built in 1969, Hornet Stadium is more a pumped up high school football field than a coliseum befitting a university, which has fueled speculation Sac State has ambitions to raise its national sports profile. The field has undergone several upgrades and expansions over the years to accommodate not only its football team, but also to serve as homebase for a couple of short-lived professional football teams – the Sacramento Surge of the World League, the Sacramento Gold Miners of the Canadian Football League and the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.
While the new stadium will be a significant boost to Sac State’s athletic infrastructure, the university also has been working on renovation, set to be done this winter, of The WELL, the campus recreation center on the north end of the football field. Upgrades include improving its basketball gym. These enhancements are designed to improve the experience for both students and athletes, aligning with the university’s overall goal of improving its athletic facilities.
However, when asked about the possibility of building a dedicated basketball facility, Orr clarified that there are no immediate plans for such a venue. Instead, the University plans to continue using nearby Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings, for high-profile basketball events.
When asked about Sacramento State’s athletic future and whether the university plans to apply for membership in higher-profile athletic conferences, such as the Pac-12 or Mountain West conferences, Orr said that there are no immediate plans to explore options outside of the Big Sky Conference.
Despite Orr’s comments, speculation is abuzz on social media that Sac State does indeed harbor such ambitions. And why not? College athletics has undergone dramatic realignment this season.
The Pac-12, the storied standard bearer of West Coast athletics, dissolved into near nothingness when longtime anchors USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Washington and others – lured by billion-dollar television deals – abandoned the league for richer affiliations in the Midwest and East Coast. The conference, left only with holdovers Washington State and Oregon State, raided the Mountain West to rebuild itself. As the dominoes continue to fall, Sac State’s name has surfaced as a possible addition to the Pac-12 or Mountain West.
“I can’t predict what’s going to happen with conference realignment,” Orr said. “Our plans to build facilities and get the stadium done and arena is for the best for students and our community, not for the Pac-12 or Mountain West or any conference. We’re doing it because our facilities need upgrades.”
Hornet Stadium has been a cornerstone of Sacramento State’s athletic history. The stadium has hosted a wide array of events, from the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials to the Junior Olympics and the Homeless World Cup.
Alumnus Brandon Weldon, a former Hornet football player who graduated in 2023, was at the news conference and shared his enthusiasm for current and future football players having a new home facility.
“I hope the stadium brings more people in and the city shows more support for Sacramento State,” Weldon said. “We’re a great school with a lot of great sports, great players, and we show out every time we get a chance to.”