Mountain West Conference, MAC and NIU football

It’s official, NIU football is saying “Good-bye” to the MAC and racing toward the Mountain West Conference
All of the changes we’re seeing in college football from conference realignments to the transfer portal and NIL has forced Northern Illinois University to make a move to keep up or to stay a step ahead.
Northern Illinois set to join Mountain West for football only in 2026
Northern Illinois has accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West for football only in 2026, the school and conference announced Tuesday. The Huskies will go from the Midwest-based MAC to a conference in which the easternmost school is in Colorado Springs,
Top MAC football program to join Mountain West
Mountains are exactly what comes to mind when you think of Illinois, but one of the state’s football programs has officially made the move to the Mountain West Conference. The league announced the addition of MAC powerhouse Northern Illinois as a football-only member on Tuesday. The Huskies will join the conference on July 1, 2026.
Tuesday's college football: Northern Illinois to leave MAC for western-based conference
The Huskies will go from the MAC to a league in which the easternmost school is in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Northern Illinois football pays $2 million to join Mountain West
Northern Illinois football is heading to the Mountain West Conference in 2026. The school announced Tuesday it's paying $2 million to join.
Northern Illinois to vote Tuesday on football-only Mountain West invitation
Northern Illinois’ board of trustees will meet Tuesday to discuss and vote on the acceptance of an invitation to join the Mountain West as a football-only member in 2026.
Northern Illinois to join Mountain West as football-only member
Another football program is set to join the Mountain West. The conference announced on Tuesday that Northern Illinois (NIU) will join the league as a football-only addition on July 1, 2026. NIU comes to the Mountain West from the MAC.
Northern Illinois becomes football-only member of Mountain West, leaving MAC
Northern Illinois confirmed on Tuesday that it is joining the Mountain West in 2026 as a football-only member.
Northern Illinois football to join Mountain West; league to ‘pause’ on adding new members
The league’s football members will include Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Illinois, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.
Northern Illinois football joins Mountain West Conference
The Northern Illinois Huskies’ football team will be joining the Mountain West Conference, leaving the Mid-American Conference that it had been a member of for nearly 30 years.
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