Northern Illinois becomes football-only member of Mountain West

Northern Illinois confirmed Tuesday that it is joining the Mountain West in 2026 as a football-only member.

The school hasn't made any decisions on where its other sports will play but remains in discussions with the Mid-American Conference.

The football program is exiting the MAC after having played in it since 1997. It was its second stint in the MAC.

"What a great opportunity for NIU Athletics as we expand our horizons, adapt to this new national model of college athletics and prepare to start a new chapter in the history of NIU Football," Northern Illinois athletic director Sean T. Frazier said in a news release. "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 heightened competition, the media coverage and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions provides."

The Mountain West has been heavily involved in conference realignment with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State leaving for the revamped Pac-12 in 2026.

The addition of Northern Illinois gives the Mountain West nine football-playing members for 2026. The others are Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.

"We are excited about adding the Northern Illinois University football program to the Mountain West," Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a news release. "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."

The MAC said it appreciated Northern Illinois' contributions to the conference.

"While we would have preferred that NIU remain a member of the MAC, we understand that each institution must make an independent decision," MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a statement.

Northern Illinois went 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the MAC this season and posted a stunning upset of then-No.5 Notre Dame in September. That was the program's first-ever victory over a Top 10 program.

The Huskies also enjoyed a stellar run from 2010-14 in which it compiled a 57-13 record.

--Field Level Media