COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference today announced the addition of Northern Illinois University as a football-only member beginning July 1, 2026.

“We are excited about adding Northern Illinois football to the Mountain West,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “In evaluating NIU, the MW Board of Directors and Directors of Athletics carefully considered and were impressed by its history of football success and its commitment to academic excellence. NIU shares the Mountain West’s vision of balancing academic performance with athletic competitiveness and prioritizing opportunities for an outstanding student-athlete experience both on and off the playing field.”

The 2026 MW football season will feature the United States Air Force Academy, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Nevada, Reno, University of New Mexico, Northern Illinois University, San José State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of Texas, El Paso and University of Wyoming.

“This is a truly exciting day for Northern Illinois University, for the NIU football program, and for Huskie fans throughout the country,” said NIU President Lisa C. Freeman. “We are extremely pleased to accept the invitation for the Huskie football program to join a prestigious group of universities to compete in the Mountain West Conference. 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.”

Located 65 miles due west of Chicago with close to 260,000 living alumni in the nation’s third largest city, Northern Illinois University is a public institution founded in 1895. It is included in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Research Universities—High Research Activity category and is a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The university and its colleges have institutional membership or other affiliations in or with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Council on Education, Association of State Colleges and Universities, Council of Graduate Schools, and Universities Research Association.

NIU, which is celebrating its 125th season of intercollegiate athletics in 2024, is the winningest Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program in Illinois this century. The Huskies rank among the Top 30 FBS programs in the country in wins over the last 15 seasons, with five conference championships, 11 winning seasons, and 11 bowl appearances, including in 2024 when NIU posted its second consecutive eight-win season, capped by a victory over Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

“What a great opportunity for NIU Athletics as we expand our horizons and prepare to start a new chapter in the history of NIU Football,” said Sean T. Frazier, NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation. “We are grateful to Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez and the membership of the Mountain West Conference for this invitation and to NIU President Lisa Freeman for her support as we navigated this process. The impact of this move to the Mountain West is going to be felt throughout our entire department and university. Our fans are going to enjoy the competition, the media coverage, and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions.”

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