Mountain West, Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois becomes football-only member of Mountain West, leaving MAC
Northern Illinois confirmed on Tuesday that it is joining the Mountain West in 2026 as a football-only member.
Northern Illinois set to join Mountain West for football only in 2026
Northern Illinois has accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West for football only in 2026, the school and conference announced Tuesday. The Huskies will go from the Midwest-based MAC to a conference in which the easternmost school is in Colorado Springs,
Northern Illinois to vote Tuesday on football-only Mountain West invitation
Northern Illinois’ board of trustees will meet Tuesday to discuss and vote on the acceptance of an invitation to join the Mountain West as a football-only member in 2026.
Northern Illinois football pays $2 million to join Mountain West
Northern Illinois football is heading to the Mountain West Conference in 2026. The school announced Tuesday it's paying $2 million to join.
Northern Illinois football joins Mountain West Conference
The Northern Illinois Huskies’ football team will be joining the Mountain West Conference, leaving the Mid-American Conference that it had been a member of for nearly 30 years.
Top MAC football program to join Mountain West
Mountains are exactly what comes to mind when you think of Illinois, but one of the state’s football programs has officially made the move to the Mountain West Conference. The league announced the addition of MAC powerhouse Northern Illinois as a football-only member on Tuesday. The Huskies will join the conference on July 1, 2026.
NIU football leaving MAC for Mountain West Conference, pending board approval
Northern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees will vote on whether NIU's football team will leave the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Peter Medlin
Northern Illinois will join Mountain West as football-only member in 2026
The Mountain West has been rebuilding since Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State agreed to join the Pac-12.
Report: Mountain West to add Northern Illinois as football-only member for 2026 season
DeKalb, Illinois isn’t known for its mountains, but that isn’t stopping Northern Illinois from sending its football program out West.  According to Brett McMurp
Mountain West adds Northern Illinois as a football member
The addition of Northern Illinois gives the Mountain West nine football members. With it comes the ability to play a full 8-game conference slate. It also expands the MW footprint into Illinois and the coveted Chicago market. NIU is located 65 miles west of Chicago and currently plays in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Northern Illinois joining Mountain West and the 3 weirdest moves of conference realignment
There have been seismic shifts in college football and by the end of it all the landscape will be unrecognizable.
Northern Illinois to join Mountain West as football-only in '26
Northern Illinois will join the Mountain West as a football-only member in 2026, joining Air Force, Hawai'i, UNLV, Nevada, ...
Northern Illinois to join Mountain West as football-only member
Another football program is set to join the Mountain West. The conference announced on Tuesday that Northern Illinois (NIU) ...