Northern Illinois will join Mountain West as football-only member in 2026

DEKALB — Northern Illinois has accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West for football only in 2026.

The Huskies will go from the Midwest-based Mid-American Conference to a league in which the easternmost school is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They will join Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming in the Mountain West.

"This move will open new opportunities for our student-athletes, expand the reach and strengthen the national brand of Huskie Football as they represent NIU and compete for championships the hard way, and the right way," NIU president Lisa C. Freeman said Tuesday.

Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said NIU's "history of football success and its commitment to academic excellence" were draws.

The Mountain West has been rebuilding since Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State agreed to join the Pac-12, which is trying to restock after all but two of its schools left for other conferences last summer. (Former Pac-12 schools Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten.) The Mountain West will also have other schools — UC Davis and Grand Canyon — joining in some sports in 2026.

Northern Illinois has played 39 seasons in the MAC over two stints from 1975 to 1985 and since 1997. It was in the Big West Conference in football from 1993 to 1995 and operated as an independent from 1986 to 1992, as well as in 1996.

The Huskies went 8-5 this season and pulled off a stunner at then-No. 5 Notre Dame in September. The win vaulted them into The Associated Press poll for the first time in 11 years.

The Huskies have consistently been among the top teams in the MAC for two decades. They've played in 15 bowl games in that span, and the 2012 team even made the Orange Bowl with star quarterback Jordan Lynch.

"The impact of this move to the Mountain West is going to be felt throughout our entire department and university," athletic director Sean Frazier said. "Our fans are going to enjoy the competition, the media coverage, and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions."

It's not clear which conference Northern Illinois' other teams will compete in starting in 2026. The school said it has "multiple options" with Midwest conferences and remains in talks with the MAC.

MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher thanked NIU for its contributions and transparency as college athletics goes through its latest wave of realignment.

"While we would have preferred that NIU remain a member of the MAC, we understand that each institution must make an independent decision. Indeed, in recent years, many NCAA Division I institutions have decided to change their conference affiliations, just as student-athletes and coaches have," he said, adding that the league remains "very well positioned to continue to compete at the highest level in intercollegiate athletics."