Ever since being hired as Sacramento State’s head football coach in December, Brennan Marion and his Hornets have seemingly been making headlines weekly. As they continue their meteoric rise as America’s favorite FCS team, Sac State is primed for even more fans.
On Thursday, May 29, it was announced that for a fourth straight year, the FCS powerhouse will play in a nationally televised game.
Sacramento State Gets National TV Spotlight For Fourth Straight Year
The Sacramento State Hornets are getting a lot of attention under their new head coach, Brennan Marion, and it looks like television broadcasters are taking notice as well.
In a post on X, the team announced that their home game against Big Sky Conference foe Montana will be aired on ESPN2 on October 24.
𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗨𝗦
Sacramento State will host Montana on ESPN2 on Friday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. This year will be the fourth-consecutive season the Hornets will play a nationally-televised game. #StingersUp pic.twitter.com/l3JIvYP0x3— Sac State Football (@SacHornetsFB) May 29, 2025
The televised tilt makes this the fourth straight year that the Hornets will have a game that’s nationally televised. It’s part of a new deal the Big Sky signed with ESPN, which will air games begining this season until 2029-2030.
Sacramento State and five other Big Sky schools — Montana, Northern Arizona, Montana State, Idaho, and UC Davis — have all ranked in the top 25 in recent FCS polls.
The timing is great for new head coach Brennan Marion, who vowed to change the program for the good after taking over last December. So far, he’s making headway after the school achieved a landmark in snagging 50 players through the transfer portal.
A key lure for those players? Marion’s “Go-Go” offense, which he brought over from his time as a coordinator with UNLV. It’s what made Jaden Rashada, a former five-star recruit for Georgia, sign up with Sacramento State after being at Arizona State in 2023.
“Everybody knows about (Marion’s) Go-Go offense. High tempo. Throw the ball. I’m pretty excited about that,” he said.
RELATED: Jaden Rashada Breaks Silence on Georgia Exit and Why He Chose Sacramento State Over Major Offers
“For us in every room, we want guys who can be draft picks, starters and stars,” Marion said, according to the Sacramento Bee.
“In every room, if you look at what we are doing in the transfer portal and what we have done with high school recruiting, every single room had that.”
All eyes will be on Marion and Sacramento State, as rumors swirl about the program making the jump to the FBS and potentially leaving the Big Sky Conference in the next couple of years. This year, though, the Hornets will kick off their season on August 30 against fellow powerhouse South Dakota State.
This season, they’ll also face big names like FBS foe Nevada and notable FCS programs, like Central Arkansas, Eastern Washington, Idaho, and UC-Davis.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
