Northern Illinois set to join the Horizon League in most sports — besides football — in 2026
The majority of the Northern Illinois athletics department is set to join the Horizon League in 2026, pending approval by the university's board of trustees Thursday.
NIU announced in January that its football team would move to the Mountain West Conference in 2026 after 18 straight seasons and 39 overall in the Mid-American Conference. But as a football-only member of the Mountain West, that left the other Huskies sports programs without a conference home.
Now NIU hopes to move all of its sports teams except football, women's gymnastics and men's wrestling to the Horizon League in 2026, according to a board agenda item for Thursday's meeting. The university has applied for gymnastics and wrestling to remain affiliate members of the MAC because the Horizon League doesn't have those sports.
The move to become the 12th member of the Horizon League requires board approval because of the $1.4 million entrance fee. The Huskies would join Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, IU Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, Wright State and Youngstown State.
Upon the announcement of the football team's move in January, NIU cited the changing landscape of college sports, including the potential for upcoming athlete revenue sharing, as reasons it explored the changes.
The Mountain West needed new members because five will move to the Pac-12 in 2026. NIU was coming off an 8-5 season that included wins over Notre Dame and Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
'The impact of this move to the Mountain West is going to be felt throughout our entire department and university,' athletic director Sean T. Frazier said then in a statement. 'Our fans are going to enjoy the heightened competition, the media coverage and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions provides.'
The Huskies will remain full members of the MAC for the 2025-26 school year.
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