Mountain West to add Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois to join Mountain West as a football only member in 2026
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (KOLO) - Northern Illinois University will be joining the Mountain West Conference as a football only member in 2026. The announcement was made Tuesday amid a shakeup in the conference, which saw the addition of UTEP and UC Davis to its ranks.
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.
Tuesday's college football: Northern Illinois to leave MAC for western-based conference
The Huskies will go from the MAC to a league in which the easternmost school is in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Northern Illinois joins Mountain West: Huskies will compete as football-only member beginning in 2026 season
The Mountain West Conference has announced the addition of Northern Illinois in football after the school's board of trustees approved the move on Tuesday. Northern Illinois, which will begin competing in the conference in 2026,
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 football is set to join the Mountain West: Here's what it means for NIU
NIU has agreed to leave the MAC to join the Mountain West in football only and the NIU Board of Trustees will discuss the move this week. Here's what that move means for the Huskies.
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.
NIU Board of Trustees to vote Tuesday on football-only membership in Mountain West conference
The university has accepted a formal offer to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member, effective July 1, 2026, subject to a vote.
Mountain West officially adds Northern Illinois as football-only member for 2026 season
The Mountain West Conference will have nine football-playing members for the 2026 season.  Northern Illinois was officially introduced as the latest member of t
Northern Illinois agrees to join Mountain West as football-only member
The conference will expand to the Central Time Zone as it welcomed Northern Illinois as a football-only member on Tuesday. The Huskies, whose Board of Regents voted to accept an invitation that comes with a $2 million entry fee, will officially join the Mountain West on July 1, 2026.
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. People familiar with the situation told The Athletic that while they expect the vote approving the $2 million membership fee to go through,
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Mountain West Adds Northern Illinois As A Football-Only Member
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (PRESS RELEASE) – The Mountain West Conference today announced the addition of Northern Illinois ...
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Northern Illinois to join Mountain West as football-only member in 2026
NIU will officially join the Mountain West on July 1, 2026 and will compete in the conference as a football-only member. The ...