Cal Expo, in partnership with Sacramento State, is kicking off the exploration of a new chapter for Hornet football. In a unanimous vote, the California Exposition & State Fair (Cal Expo) Board of Directors approved an agreement with Sacramento State to study the feasibility of transforming the Cal Expo Grandstand into a potential new home for the university’s football program.
“In addition to being two state agencies, Sac State is our neighbor, just over two miles down the road,” said Tom Martinez, CEO of California Exposition & State Fair. “We are excited to collaborate on a project that benefits the broader Sacramento community by bringing Hornet football to Cal Expo.”
The project calls for transforming approximately 9.25 acres of the grandstand and racetrack area into a modern football venue with seating for 25,000 — expandable to 40,000 in the future.
“Cal Expo provides an opportunity for us to go much bigger,” explained Dr. Luke Wood, president of Sacramento State. “It’s a much larger vision for what we want to do with athletics.”
Plans also include installing a new field with lighting, adding modular locker rooms with showers and restrooms, expanding bleacher seating, and making cosmetic upgrades such as fresh paint and Sacramento State Hornets branding. The goal is to bring six to eight Hornet home games to the venue beginning in the Fall 2026 football season.
“There’s no reason that we can’t have big time college football here in Sacramento,” said Sacramento State Athletics Director Mark Orr. “What we need is a facility that can support the aspirations we have for football. The students and community deserve it.”
With on-site parking for more than 15,000 vehicles, Cal Expo is well-positioned to host large-scale game-day events.
“Cal Expo has a long history of hosting major community events, and this potential partnership reflects our mission to serve the region by providing facilities that bring people together,” said Martinez. This collaboration aims to transform the Cal Expo Grandstand into a state-of-the-art venue that brings together Sacramento State athletics and Cal Expo’s long tradition of serving as a premier community gathering place.
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About the California Exposition
Cal Expo is home to the California State Fair and plays host to hundreds of other signature events each year. Featuring 350 beautifully landscaped acres, Cal Expo was initiated by Governor Pat Brown and opened by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1968. The current Cal Expo facilities were dedicated as a place to celebrate California’s achievements, agriculture, diversity of its people, traditions and trends that will shape the Golden State’s future.
The California Exposition & State Fair mission is to create a State Fair experience reflecting California including its industries, agriculture, and diversity of its people, traditions and trends shaping its future supported by year-round events.
