The NCAA has rejected a waiver request from Sacramento State to play in the Football Bowl Subdivision as an independent in 2026.

Sacramento State's attempted fast-tracked climb to the FBS has been slowed. The NCAA Division I Council voted Tuesday to deny the school's waiver request to move up from the FCS level without a formal conference invitation, according to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. The vote will become official once meetings conclude Wednesday.

Sacramento State's waiver request to the governing body NCAA to move up in football classification has been denied, but the efforts to reach the Football Bowl Subdivision, otherwise known as the FBS,