By admin 
Luke Wood has a habit of big historic announcements that are all show.
Two years ago, the Sacramento State president announced a plan to build a brand new state-of-the-art football stadium, once thought to be on campus.
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That stadium plan stalled — no one knows if it will be built. Grand Sacramento State building announcements can fade into background noise, with blueprints gathering dust while students wait for something real. Now, Wood is at it again, announcing Wednesday the university has secured $150 million for a new engineering building.
Attendees murmured with excitement as the lights dimmed in the university ballroom and a video teased the announcement.
Engineering students rolled in the projects they have built, showing them off, as Wood announced that nearly $150 million from the CSU system would be committed to the Ernest E. Tschannen Engineering Teaching and Research Building. It is named after the donor who also will contribute $15 million to help fund its construction.
Someone even booed and walked out as the president made the announcement, seemingly disappointed.
Details?
Now here might be the part where I explain the details of the building. Here’s what I found out asking Wood and his staff.
Where will it be? Not a clue.
When will the building be built? Still pending.
Will it be included in the projected $1 billion downtown campus? Nope.
Is the $150 million enough to cover the building project? A spokesperson for Sac State determined that it is yet to be finalized.
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These are all the simple questions that should be easy to answer and divulge for such a historic announcement. You would think the university would have at least a site map ready to show. But, nope — just more vague promises and architectural vapor.
More hype than concrete
This is what hype gets you.
How is anyone supposed to get excited about money that might not even be enough, with no concrete plan for how, or if, this building will materialize?
Every time leadership sidesteps basic questions, students and the community are reminded that it treats transparency as optional, not required.
Sure, $150 million is a good bit of money to acquire. I don’t devalue the work that went into securing those funds for Sac State. Yes, if the building is built, it will be a huge asset to the university. But without a plan or a tangible framework, it feels more like a wish.
Good things are happening at Sac State. Its student enrollment increased this year and it just opened a new student dorm — Mt. Whitney Hall housing more than 300 students — on campus.
Wood may have shifted focus from athletics, but the flaws remain: big theatrics, little substance. Until Sacramento State backs up confetti cannons with concrete details, these “historic” announcements are just history repeating itself.
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This story was originally published August 27, 2026 at 3:40 PM.