Sac State's First MAC Homecoming, Seen From the River Park End of the Guy West Bridge

Between River Park and Sacramento State, the Guy West Bridge crosses the American River in International Orange. It's a pedestrian and bicycle suspension span from the mid-1960s, built to echo the Golden Gate Bridge and named for Sacramento State's founding president. The city finished a $3.2 million restoration in May 2015. That work covered the suspension cables, structural repairs and a fresh coat of that orange paint. From the corner of Sandburg and Carlson, Google Maps puts the University Union 1.7 miles away on foot and Hornet Stadium 2.0 miles away.

This year those distances matter more than usual. Sac State is holding its first homecoming as a member of the Mid-American Conference, the FBS league it joins this season. Homecoming week runs October 12 through 18, and it happens in two different places. The free and low-cost events are clustered around the University Union and Hornet Stadium, a walk across the bridge from River Park. The big ticketed 18+ concerts are at a separate university property south of the stadium, on the other side of campus.

Two homecomings, one campus apart

The concerts are a new piece of the week. Sac State announced them on July 31 as the first events in a partnership with NPU Live, a San Francisco-based entertainment company. Both shows are at 3001 Ramona Avenue. Ticket listings call the site "Ramona Ave Landing," and FOX40 describes it as a university-owned project site less than a mile south of Hornet Stadium. The university bought the 25-acre parcel in 2005, and its planning records say it used to serve as remote parking.

Here's the week laid out by location and cost, using Sac State's homecoming schedule and the ticket listings.

Everything in that table on the Union and stadium side of campus is an easy walk from the bridge landing. The Friday show features Dustin Lynch, WUKI, Karley Scott Collins, and Chango B2B Nico Crespo. The Sunday lineup includes Farruko, 3BallMTY, Jessica Audiffred, JUOS, and Banda La Más Pedida. As of this week, general admission was listed at $49.44 for the Friday show and $54.99 for Sunday, fees included, and some tiers had already sold out.

Why the Ramona site keeps coming up

The Ramona site is more than a one-weekend venue. According to KCRA's report on the announcement, NPU Live plans to host more events every year and is working with the university on internships and a for-credit course in live entertainment production and venue management. NPU Live also plans a renovation that would create a new venue with two indoor performance spaces and room for about 2,800 people. President Luke Wood explained the reasoning in the joint release:

"Our partnership with NPU Live reflects our commitment to building a vibrant campus community where students, alumni and the Sacramento region can come together through music, culture and shared experiences."

Football has raised the stakes too. KCRA reports that joining the MAC costs $23 million over five years and that Sac State has at least five national TV appearances this season, the most in program history. Put together, a bigger athletics program and a year-round concert partner mean the campus across the river will host more events. For River Park, the useful takeaway is the location. The first concert venue the university picked is on the south side of campus, not along the river.

The walk, in order

The route from the neighborhood breaks into four steps:

1. Start at the corner of Sandburg Drive and Carlson Drive and follow Google's walking route via Sandburg Drive toward the bridge.
2. Cross the Guy West Bridge onto campus. No closure notice turned up during research, but no current open-status notice did either, so check before a big day.
3. Follow Sac State's two-mile Healthy Hornet Path. The loop passes the bridge, the University Union and Hornet Stadium, with markers every quarter mile.
4. Plan on about 1.7 miles to the Union for the Wednesday noon show or the pop-up shop, and about 2.0 miles to the stadium for Saturday. Google suggests the Sandburg Drive route. Going by Carlson Drive adds a couple tenths of a mile.

If you're headed to the Ramona concerts, they're about another mile past the stadium. ABC10 described the property as about a mile from campus.

Saturday, with kickoff still TBA

The Ohio game is on Saturday, October 17. Hornet Sports, the ticket office, and the MAC's schedule announcement all give that date. One line on the university's homecoming page says October 18, but that's a typo. Kickoff time hasn't been announced yet. Most of Saturday is timed off kickoff, so here's how the day works:

• Four hours before kickoff: Lots 7 and 8 open. No tailgating is allowed before the lots open.
• Three hours before kickoff: The Homecoming Festival starts at Lot 8 and Hornet Stadium, with music, performances, a golf cart parade, and a Family Fun Zone.
• 30 minutes before kickoff: Tailgating has to wrap up. It's only allowed in Lots 7 and 8, one space per vehicle, and never in the parking structures.
• After the final whistle: Fireworks at Hornet Stadium. The stadium has a clear bag policy.

Some Saturday events don't depend on kickoff. Volleyball plays Long Beach State at noon at The Nest, with tickets at $12 for adults and $7 for youth. Women's soccer plays at 1 p.m. and men's soccer at 4 p.m. The Alumni Association and ASI are also taking food drive donations for the ASI Food Pantry at the festival from 3 to 6 p.m. If you want to bring canned goods, the walk is easier than driving them over.

For breakfast before the walk, Roosters Breakfast & Mimosas is at 5493 Carlson Drive, Suite D. Its website doesn't list Saturday hours, so call ahead. If kickoff lands in the evening, Lin Dumpling at 5539 H Street is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Carlson Drive, freshly resurfaced, with new red curbs

On the River Park side, the Carlson Drive Rehabilitation Project was marked complete on September 3. The city says the street had worn down from years of nearby construction, including the Army Corps levee work, Caltrans upgrades on the Capital City Freeway bridge, and the Two Rivers Trail. The project added an asphalt-rubber cape seal that should last 10 to 15 years, 21 upgraded ADA curb ramps, and curb extensions with centerline delineators at the mid-block crossing by Caleb Greenwood Elementary.

The change most likely to affect game day is the new red curbing. Under AB 413, California's daylighting law, parking is banned within 20 feet of any crosswalk, marked or unmarked. The city painted those limits into the Carlson project. For visitors hoping to park in the neighborhood and walk across, that means fewer spots near corners than before.

Residential permit rules apply to visitors as usual. Sacramento's program lets eligible residents skip meters and posted time limits. Visitors still have to follow posted limits or pay the meter unless they have an authorized visitor or temporary permit. Signs reading "No Parking Any Time Except With" a permit mean no parking at all without one. Permit boundaries can change from one side of a block to the other, so the posted signs on each block are what count. Enforcement is handled by Sacramento Parking Services, and you can reach them through 311.

Year-round events at the Ramona site and a campus in an FBS conference are both part of what it means to live a bridge away from Sac State. If you're wondering how that affects your River Park home, whether you're planning a remodel, thinking about a custom build or just curious about its value, Lisa Rayman can walk you through the numbers. Reach out for a free home valuation and build consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.