Northern Illinois non-football sports join new conference, with 2 exceptions
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Northern Illinois’ non-football sports are joining the Horizon League, per Action Network. There are two exceptions, as wrestling and gymnastics aren’t represented in the Horizon. The move is pending approval of the school’s board.
Northern Illinois football is also headed to a new league, the Mountain West. The Huskies start playing football in that conference in 2026.
The move is just another chapter in the shifting world of conference realignment. NCAA sports have undergone tremendous change in recent years due to the implosion of the Pac-12 Conference, and expansion of other leagues.
Northern Illinois football currently plays in the Mid-American Conference.
The Mountain West is changing due to conference realignment
The Pac-12 is rebuilding with most of the current members of the Mountain West. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State and San Diego State are all joining the Pac. Gonzaga is also joining the Pac-12 as a basketball only member.
The Mountain West looked to be dead in the water. However, things slowly turned around for the league. UNLV decided to stay, and then the Mountain West added Northern Illinois as a football-only member. UC Davis in northern California is joining as a non-football member.
"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, per a statement. "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."
The Mountain West will have Air Force, Hawaii, University of Nevada Reno, New Mexico, Northern Illinois, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming. Northern Illinois officially joins in July 2026.
"We are excited about adding Northern Illinois football to the Mountain West," said Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez in a statement. "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."
Northern Illinois football had arguably the biggest win in program history by defeating Notre Dame in 2024.
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