Sacramento State’s New Era Gets a Touch of MC Hammer

By Millgate Media Group Staff

September 6, 2026

Sacramento State football entered the 2026 season with a new conference, a new head coach and expectations unlike anything the program had experienced before.

Now officially competing at the FBS level as a member of the Mid-American Conference, the Hornets are beginning a new chapter — and their first home game of the season brought a little extra star power to Hornet Stadium.

Hip-hop icon MC Hammer was among the special guests connected to Sacramento State’s September 5 home opener against Mississippi Valley State, joining a night that represented much more than another football game.

The connection between Hammer and first-year Sacramento State head coach Alonzo Carter goes back decades.

Before Carter built his career in football, the Oakland native toured as a dancer and choreographer with MC Hammer during the rapper’s rise in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Carter later transitioned into coaching, eventually working his way through the high school, junior college and Division I ranks before being named Sacramento State’s head coach ahead of the 2026 season.

A New Era in Sacramento

The atmosphere surrounding Sacramento State football has changed considerably in 2026.

The Hornets officially began their first FBS season on August 29 against Eastern Michigan, simultaneously making their debut as a member of the MAC. Sacramento State fell 28-17 in the opener but returned home one week later with an opportunity to make its first major statement at Hornet Stadium.

It did exactly that.

Sacramento State defeated Mississippi Valley State 52-0 on September 5, earning its first victory of the 2026 season and its first win since moving to the FBS level.

The home opener was also promoted as Black Excellence Night, with Sacramento State building an event around football, culture and entertainment.

Hammer’s presence fit naturally into that environment.

Carter had told The Sacramento Bee before the game that his longtime friend would attend as an honorary guest. During the game, Hammer also publicly celebrated Sacramento State’s performance as the Hornets built their commanding lead.

Football, Culture and Community

Carter’s connection to MC Hammer has become one of the more unique stories surrounding college football this season, but it also represents something bigger about what Sacramento State is attempting to build.

Carter has spent much of his coaching career rooted in Northern California and the East Bay. His path has included high school football, junior college football and major college programs before eventually bringing him to Sacramento.

Now, he has the opportunity to establish a new identity for a Sacramento State program moving onto college football’s biggest stage.

That identity appears to extend beyond what happens between the sidelines.

Bringing recognizable figures from Northern California culture around the program can help connect Sacramento State football with a larger audience while creating an atmosphere that feels distinctly local.

For a program entering the FBS for the first time, building that identity matters.

The Spotlight Is Getting Bigger

Sacramento State will have plenty of opportunities to capitalize on the momentum.

The Hornets are scheduled for multiple nationally televised games during the 2026 season, the most extensive national television exposure in program history. Their first FBS schedule includes matchups against Fresno State, North Dakota State, UMass, Ohio, Toledo and Hawaii.

Sacramento State’s next challenge comes September 12 on the road against Fresno State.

The results on the field will ultimately determine how successful this new era becomes.

But one thing is already clear.

Sacramento State football no longer feels like a program quietly operating in the background of Northern California college sports.

From the move to the FBS, to a new coaching staff, increased national exposure and personalities such as MC Hammer becoming part of the game-day atmosphere, the Hornets are creating something designed to attract attention.

And after a 52-0 home-opening victory, Sacramento State has given people another reason to keep watching.