The sum of the roots of a quadratic equation \(ax^2 + bx + c = 0\) is given by the formula:
\[
\text{Sum of roots} = -\frac{b}{a}
\]
For the equation \(x^2 - 3x - 28 = 0\), we have \(a = 1\), \(b = -3\), and \(c = -28\). Thus, the sum of the roots is:
\[
\text{Sum of roots} = -\frac{-3}{1} = 3
\]
Thus, the correct answer is 3.