Northern Illinois Officially Accepts Invite From Mountain West, Joins As Football-Only Member
Jan 7, 2025, 3:20 PM
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 28: Ethan Hampton #2 of the Northern Illinois Huskies drops back to pass against the NC State Wolfpack during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado- In the wake of massive shifts in the college sports landscape due to conference realignment, the Mountain West Conference has now added four new schools, as well as elevated Hawaii from football-only to full members.
For weeks, rumors have been circulating about the possibility of Northern Illinois University being added to the Mountain West Conference as the ninth football member, and last week rumors turned into reports as Action Network college football insider Brett McMurphy first reported Northern Illinois’ intention on Friday, January 3.
Breaking: Northern Illinois’ board on Tuesday expected to accept offer to join Mountain West as football-only member in 2026, industry sources said. The addition of MAC’s most successful program gives MW 9 football schools, stretching 4 time zones. NIU expected to receive…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 3, 2025
Today, Tuesday, January 7, those reports were confirmed when the Mountain West Conference announced via social media that the Huskies would in fact accepted their invitation to join the conference.
𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙒𝙚𝙨𝙩 @NIU_Football 🤝 pic.twitter.com/1FpOLxopZI
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) January 7, 2025
“We are excited about adding Northern Illinois football to the Mountain West,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez in a press release from the conference. “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 University is located just west of Chicago, meaning that Mountain West competition will stretch 4,185 miles from their easternmost member, NIU, to their westernmost member, Hawaii, showcasing one of the side effects of conference realignment.
Why Is This Happening?
With the exit of Utah State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State, the Mountain West was forced to consider expansion to maintain NCAA recognition as an FBS conference heading into 2026.
Shortly after Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and San Diego State announced their intention to leave the MW, USU became the fifth school to jump ship for the Pac-12.
RELATED: USU Defends Decision To Exit Mountain West, Join Pac-12
Grand Canyon University and UC Davis have accepted invitations to join the new-look conference as non-football members. Grand Canyon will leave the WAC while UC Davis jumps from the Big West Conference.
The Mountain West was born in 1999 when Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Utah, and Wyoming broke away from the Western Athletic Conference. SDSU, UNLV, and New Mexico accepted invites to the new league and began competing in the 1999-2000 academic year.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
