Sacramento State hosted Mississippi Valley State on September 5 with backup quarterback Jackson Sharman taking snaps after starter Carson Conklin was declared unavailable for the home opener. Sharman filled the role as the Hornets played their first home game without their starting signal-caller.

Off the field, the program is working through a bigger problem. A plan to play games at Cal Expo this season collapsed, leaving the Hornets' new stadium project in limbo. No new location has been confirmed, keeping the stadium situation up in the air heading into the rest of the 2026 season.