Sacramento State's football team took its practice on the road Thursday, hitting the gridiron at Wheatland Union High School.

Head coach Brennan Marion said the team is trying to get into the routine of traveling ahead of the season, and Wheatland was the perfect destination to connect with fans outside of Sacramento.

"Get on a bus. Wake up early. Be able to go to work. Get them out of their comfort zone a little bit, but also make sure we have every game-like experience we have that happens in the season," Marion said. "We try to practice it so it's not a shock to us on game day."

Coach Marion says nothing changed for them as far as practice goes, just the address, and the community was invited to come out and watch.

"It's interesting to see how they do a high-level practice. Everybody is serious, everybody is doing their job. I think it's wonderful, you can learn a lot by watching these guys," said Wheatland resident John Burns.

Some local youth and high school football players came to watch and learn from the D1 athletes, too.

"We've taken our kids down there for a few games," said Coach Andy Fatten of Wheatland Union High School. "It's a great opportunity for our kids to see them up close now. It's great for them, it's great for us and it's just good for our community."

Sac State kicks off its football season on August 30 as they faces South Dakota State on the road.

"We're the entire region of Sacramento's team," Marion said. "We want everybody to feel like this is their team."