REPORT: Northern Illinois Football Expected To Join Mountain West Conference

Joe Londergan | 5 Hours Ago

Sep 28, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Nothern Illinois Huskies head coach Thomas Hammock talks with quarterback Ethan Hampton (2) during the second quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images / Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Another big change is reportedly coming to the G5 football landscape this week.

Last week, Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported that Northern Illinois were considering an offer from the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member. Monday morning, Matt Brown of Extra Points backed up that report, stating that the Huskies are expected to accept that invitation to the MWC sometime in the coming days.

Per Brown, the rest of NIU's sports are also expected to leave the Mid-American Conference for a mid-major league such as the Summit, Ohio Valley and Horizon.

UPDATE: McMurphy posted to X Monday afternoon that a decision from NIU is not expected until January due to the holiday break.

The Mountain West Conference has gone through a plethora of changes over the last several months. Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Utah State will leave the MWC to join the Pac-12 for the 2026 season. UTEP will leave Conference USA for the Mountain West starting in 2026. Hawaii is set to become a full member of the conference after being a football-only member for several years. Meanwhile, Grand Canyon University, who does not sponsor football, will join the league alongside UC-Davis. UC-Davis' football program will remain in the FCS in the Big Sky Conference.

NIU football joining the league would move the Mountain West Conference to nine football programs for 2026, including Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP, and Wyoming.

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