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Northern Illinois announces move to Mountain West, MAC thanks NIU for ‘communication’
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Northern Illinois is joining the Mountain West as a football-only member beginning in 2026.
The Huskies announced their conference switch on Tuesday, ditching the MAC for a league whose easternmost member is based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In a news release from the school, NIU stated that it has “multiple options” when it comes to conferences for its non-football sports to compete in. The school said it has held conversations with multiple “regionally based” conferences as well as the MAC.
“The impact of this move to the Mountain West is going to be felt throughout our entire department and university,” said athletic director Sean T. Frazier. “Our fans are going to enjoy the heightened competition, the media coverage and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions provides.”
In 2026, NIU will be joined by Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP, and Wyoming as football members in the Mountain West. The league will have 11 total members, with UTEP joining alongside NIU, Hawaii converting to a full-time member, and Grand Canyon and UC Davis joining as non-football members.
The league’s commissioner, Gloria Nevarez, told The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman on Tuesday that it will be pausing on adding additional members and focusing on a 4-4 scheduling model in 2026.
In a statement shortly after the news was made public, MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher thanked NIU for its communication during the move.
“During two separate tenures, Northern Illinois University has been a good member of the Mid-American Conference. We appreciate the contributions of NIU’s student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and fans. As NIU has considered other conference opportunities, I appreciate the communication from NIU’s president. Her professionalism
reflects the MAC’s shared values,” Steinbrecher said.
“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. The MAC has been proactive in this respect. For example, in February, the MAC was excited to have the University of Massachusetts join our conference. As a result, the MAC remains a strong conference, very well positioned to continue to compete at the highest level in intercollegiate athletics.”
UMass announced in February of last year it would join the MAC in all sports for the 2025-26 school year.
NIU, while geographically clunky, brings a relatively strong football pedigree to the MWC.
The school claims it is the winningest FBS program in the state of Illinois this century. It also said in its release the Huskies rank among the top 30 FBS programs in wins over the last 15 years. During that time, NIU won 5 conference championships and posted 11 winning seasons.
NIU was a member of the MAC from 1975 until 1986, when it went independent. After 3 seasons in the Big West and another year of independence, NIU rejoined the MAC in 1997 and has been a member ever since. From 2010-14, NIU won 57 games.
The move for NIU comes in response to the Pac-12 poaching multiple MWC teams last September. In July 2026, the conference will add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State to its membership.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
