Sacramento State played rival UC Davis at Golden 1 for three seasons in a venue Hornets athletic director Mark Orr told The Sacramento Bee in 2022 was “the best arena in the country.” But it was a tough sell for fans with small, midweek crowds, and the series is no longer held at Golden 1 but instead at the schools.

“Getting Sacramento State into the Pac-12 is essential,” Barry Broome of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council said in a SAC 12 news release. “It would significantly increase the economic impact of the region. It would change the reputation of the university, the city of Sacramento, and the greater Sacramento region.”

The Sacramento Kings could share its home venue with the university's basketball program if they are admitted to the conference.