Report: Mountain West to add Northern Illinois as football-only member for 2026 season

MWC is losing Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State to Pac-12 in 2026

Mountain West logo. / James Snook-Imagn Images

DeKalb, Illinois isn’t known for its mountains, but that isn’t stopping Northern Illinois from sending its football program out West. 

According to Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, Northern Illinois will leave the Mid-American Conference and join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member for the 2026 season. The school is still considering options for its other sports, McMurphy said. 

McMurphy reported that the Northern Illinois Board of Trustees will meet on Tuesday to finalize the process. According to a public notice posted on Northern Illinois’ website, the school will be required to pay a $2 million entrance fee to join the Mountain West. 

“Conference realignment has become a reality in intercollegiate athletics," the public notice said. “In addition to providing the university with additional revenue, the move to the MWC will allow the university to grow its strong football brand and reaffirm its commitment to the success of our student athletes.”

The Huskies upset Notre Dame, a College Football Playoff semifinalist, back in September and finished the season 8-5 overall after defeating Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Northern Illinois is 32-38 overall under head coach Thomas Hammock, who took over the program in 2019. 

Northern Illinois has won five MAC titles since 2011, the most of any school. 

The addition of Northern Illinois gives the Mountain West nine football-playing members for the 2026 season, joining Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming. UC Davis and Grand Canyon are also coming aboard as non-football members in 2026. 

Beginning with the 2026-27 season, the MWC will feature nine football teams spread across four time zones with 10 teams competing in men’s and women’s basketball. 

Current Mountain West members Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are all leaving for the Pac-12 in 2026, along with West Coast Conference power Gonzaga. The eight-team conference will also feature remaining members Oregon State and Washington State. 

The Pac-12 must add at least one more football-playing member before 2026 to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not compete in football. 

Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State have filed a lawsuit against the Mountain West over millions of dollars in exit fees owed the conference. The Pac-12 is also suing the Mountain West over a poaching penalty attached to a scheduling agreement the two parties agreed to in December 2023.

MORE BOISE STATE NEWS & ANALYSIS

• Report: NCAA considering rule change to allow fifth year of eligibility

• Bronco great Nate Potter takes over for Dirk Koetter as Boise State offensive coordinator

• Boise State OC Dirk Koetter on NIL: ‘Our best players are getting offered between 2 and 10 times what we can offer’

• Ashton Jeanty’s blue jersey tops best-seller list at NIL Store

• Ashton Jeanty falls just short of Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record

• Boise State transfer portal tracker: Ohio State offensive lineman signs with Broncos

• Format change coming to College Football Playoff?

• Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson: ‘What we did this year is not going to be enough going forward’

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Continue to follow our Boise State coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.