The MAC has been maligned forever for refusing to think outside the box. For refusing to take any sort of risk. Now an opportunity landed in their lap that doesn't actually have much risk tied to it, and we're going to crap on them for taking a shot? OK, that seems consistent.
An opportunity presented itself with a school that is being, admittedly, hyper aggressive and taking a shot in the dark. An opportunity that isn't going to cost the MAC much of anything. "There's no risk and this isn't going to lower the MAC's profile one bit" is a plenty good enough "just because" reason. It's 2026 in the world of college sports mercenaries. There are no rules.
The best case scenario is that the MAC uses these funds and this methodology to find more schools in the footprint (see: past rumors of WKU/MTSU, etc). The worst case is that they added 6-8 games of TV inventory (Sac State home games) for however many years it lasts at no cost to the league.
Do I think Sacramento State is nuts for doing this? 100% absolutely, ab-so-freaking-lutely I think they're nuts. Do I think the MAC is being stupid for taking them up on this offer in the days of "do what you can to survive" while having schools both leave and be courted? Not a bit. I'm not gonna crap on the MAC for taking a shot at something, even if it seems insane for Sac State to be doing this.