CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced today that Sacramento State will join the league as an affiliate member in women’s rowing beginning with the 2027 season.
Sacramento State becomes the MAC’s seventh women’s rowing program, joining Delaware, Eastern Michigan, High Point, Massachusetts, Temple and Toledo.
“I am pleased to welcome Sacramento State to the Mid-American Conference as an affiliate member in women’s rowing,” said MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher. “The Hornets bring an established program, a strong competitive tradition and a commitment to excellence that will strengthen our championship field. We look forward to having Sacramento State compete for a MAC championship beginning in 2027.”
Sacramento State has competed in women’s rowing at the varsity level since 1995. In 2025, the Hornets won the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four grand finals at the WIRA Championships in the same year for the first time in program history. Sacramento State also placed fourth among nine teams at its first West Coast Conference Championship.
Head coach Sarah Puddicombe took over the program in July of 2026. A two-time first team All-American, and NCAA national champion as both a coach and student-athlete, Puddicombe has spent the past three seasons (2024-26) as assistant coach with the Hornets, and also had an earlier stint as a Sacramento State assistant from 2005-07. She won a national championship as a coxswain with UC Davis in 2002, and later added a national championship as an assistant coach at Cal in 2016.
“Joining the MAC as an affiliate member is an exciting next step for Sacramento State Rowing, and a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes,” said Sacramento State Director of Athletics Mark Orr. “The MAC provides a competitive conference setting and will give our student-athletes the opportunity to compete for a championship alongside respected programs from across the country. We are grateful to the MAC for welcoming the Hornets, and we look forward to competing in the conference and continuing to build Sacramento State Rowing on a national level.”
“I could not be happier to join such a strong and respected conference as the MAC,” Puddicombe said. “This is an exciting opportunity for our rowing program, and our student-athletes who will have the chance to compete for a conference championship against crews from across the country. We are looking forward to building new rivalries, representing Sacramento State on a national stage and being part of the MAC rowing community.”
The MAC held its inaugural Women’s Rowing Championship in May 2026 at Ford Lake in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Massachusetts swept all five races to become the league’s first champion and earn the MAC’s first automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Women’s Rowing Championship. The 2027 MAC Women’s Rowing Championship will take place May 15 at Ford Lake.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
With over 30,000 students, Sacramento State has grown into the sixth-largest campus in the California State University system. Sacramento State has been ranked as the ninth-most transformative college by Money.com and the second-most diverse campus in the Western United States by the Wall Street Journal.
Hornet athletics features 21 intercollegiate teams which have combined to win over 100 conference titles since moving to NCAA Div. I in the early 1990s. Sacramento State student-athletes have also succeeded in the classroom, posting over a 3.0 gpa for the past 10 years.
For additional information on Sacramento State visit csus.edu as well as hornetsports.com for Hornet athletics.
ABOUT THE MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
The Mid-American Conference is an NCAA Division I FBS conference comprised of 12 full member institutions. Founded in 1946, the MAC is one of the nation's oldest collegiate conferences and sponsors championship competition in 23 sports. The Conference is committed to creating transformational opportunities to develop leaders of character to strengthen its member institutions and the communities it serves.
