MAC Commissioner Responds To Northern Illinois Exit Announcement
Northern Illinois University announced Tuesday their intention to leave the Mid-American Conference in the summer of 2026. The football program will join the Mountain West Conference, while the other sports are still searching for a home.
In a statement distributed to media members on Tuesday afternoon, Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher issued the following response:
“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. "
"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.”
Editor's note: An earlier version of this post stated that Steinbrecher had held the position of Mid-American Conference commissioner from 1994 to 2003. Steinbrecher was commissioner of the Mid-Continent Conference in that time, now known as the Summit League.
Steinbrecher has helmed the MAC since 2009.
Northern Illinois first joined the MAC in 1975, staying through the 1985 season. They rejoined the conference in 1997 after eight seasons as an independent and three in the Big West. The Huskies secured six MAC titles in football between their two stints in the league. The Mountain West currently has nine football members for 2026: Air Force, Hawai'i, Nevada, New Mexico, NIU, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.
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