NIU football officially joins the Mountain West Conference
DEKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois is departing the Mid-American Conference's football ranks for the Mountain West.
The university officially announced it would join the Mountain West Conference in a football-only capacity starting in 2026.
The move puts the Mountain West Conference at nine teams: NIU, Air Force, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.
In the latest wave of realignment, the Mountain West saw Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State all depart for the Pac-12.
"We are excited about adding the Northern Illinois University football program to the Mountain West," Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a written 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."
NIU spent the last 18 seasons in the Mid-American Conference, also known as the MAC. Before joining the MAC, NIU was a member of the Big West Conference in football from 1993-95 and operated as an independent program from 1986-92 and 1996.
The Huskies most recent season saw them finish with an 8-5 record, a victory over Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and a win over College Football Playoff semifinalist and then-No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend.
"What a great opportunity for NIU football," NIU head coach Thomas Hammock said in a statement. "Thank you to the Mountain West, to Sean [Frazier). President Freeman and the Board for making this commitment to our program. I think this move and the interest in NIU Football is a testament to what we've done in the past and what we have the capacity to do in the future. As both the head coach and as an alum, it's extremely important to me that NIU football is able to compete at the highest level for conference and national championships. Moving to the Mountain West, especially with all the changes we're seeing in college football right now, sets NIU up to do that."