Mountain West Adds Northern Illinois as Football-Only Member

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., – The Mountain West Conference today announced the addition of Northern Illinois University as a football-only member beginning July 1, 2026.

“We are excited about adding Northern Illinois football to the Mountain West,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “In evaluating NIU, the MW Board of Directors and Directors of Athletics carefully considered and were impressed by its history of football success and its commitment to academic excellence.

"NIU shares the Mountain West’s vision of balancing academic performance with athletic competitiveness and prioritizing opportunities for an outstanding student-athlete experience both on and off the playing field.”

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The 2026 MW football season will feature the United States Air Force Academy, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Nevada, Reno, University of New Mexico, Northern Illinois University, San José State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of Texas, El Paso and University of Wyoming.

“This is a truly exciting day for Northern Illinois University, for the NIU football program, and for Huskie fans throughout the country,” said NIU President Lisa C. Freeman. “We are extremely pleased to accept the invitation for the Huskie football program to join a prestigious group of universities to compete in the Mountain West Conference. This move will open new opportunities for our student-athletes, expand the reach, and strengthen the national brand of Huskie Football as they represent NIU and compete for championships the hard way and the right way.”

Located 65 miles due west of Chicago with close to 260,000 living alumni in the nation’s third largest city, Northern Illinois University is a public institution founded in 1895. It is included in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's Research Universities—High Research Activity category and is a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Pokes snag Youngstown State edge rusher in portal

* Terron Kellman lands in Laramie after two seasons at Charlotte

* Kirkwood named running backs coach at Wyoming

* Gordie Haug accepts assistant head coach position at North Dakota

* How did Wyoming football fare in this transfer portal window?

* Wyoming RB enters portal after NCAA's "JUCO ruling'

* Wyoming's Tyrecus Davis granted extra year, enters portal

* Gillette product Kayden LaFramboise entering transfer portal

* Pokes snag freshman safety from Cal out of portal

* Wyoming WR Justin Stevenson entering transfer portal

* Cowboys sign Oklahoma Baptist linebacker Brayden Johnson

The university and its colleges have institutional membership or other affiliations in or with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Council on Education, Association of State Colleges and Universities, Council of Graduate Schools, and Universities Research Association.

NIU, which is celebrating its 125th season of intercollegiate athletics in 2024, is the winningest Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program in Illinois this century.

The Huskies rank among the Top 30 FBS programs in the country in wins over the last 15 seasons, with five conference championships, 11 winning seasons, and 11 bowl appearances, including in 2024 when NIU posted its second consecutive eight-win season, capped by a victory over Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

“What a great opportunity for NIU Athletics as we expand our horizons and prepare to start a new chapter in the history of NIU Football,” said Sean T. Frazier, NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation. “We are grateful to Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez and the membership of the Mountain West Conference for this invitation and to NIU President Lisa Freeman for her support as we navigated this process. The impact of this move to the Mountain West is going to be felt throughout our entire department and university.

"Our fans are going to enjoy the competition, the media coverage, and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions.”

EXTRA POINTS:

* Wyoming is 2-0 all-time against Northern Illinois. Both were memorable meetings, including a 40-34 three-overtime shootout against the Huskies in Laramie back in 2016. Josh Allen dove into the end zone in the wee hours of Sunday morning after area thunderstorms delayed kickoff. The Cowboys raced out to a 42-16 lead during the 2021 outing in muggy DeKalb. In the blink of an eye -- and thanks to a shifty running back named Harrison Waylee -- NIU actually took a one-point lead with 4:56 remaining in regulation. Sean Chambers would lead the visitors on a 10-play, 75-yard drive, capped with a nine-yard scamper into the black-and-red paint.

* We already mentioned Waylee, but the Cowboys actually signed another running back Saturday who once called NIU home. Terron Kellman, who spent the last two seasons at Charlotte, initially chose to be a Huskie out of high school. He and Waylee were teammates during the '22 campaign.

* NIU is 617-531-51 all-time.

* The Huskies have claimed 12 conference and division titles since 1938.

* The school has appeared in 16 bowl games and has a record of 6-10.

* Current Wyoming football coach Jay Sawvel spent three seasons as a defensive backs and special teams coach in DeKalb from 2008-10. UW's offensive line coach Joe Tripodi earned his masters at NIU. He also lead the front five, tight ends and fullbacks during a nine-year stint there.

* Wyoming basketball coach Sundance Wicks was also once a Huskie from 2007-11. He was a member of Ricardo Patton's staff.

* The Cowboy football team currently has four players from the state of Illinois: Guard Jack Walsh (Palatine), wideout Chris Durr Jr. (Chicago), Tackle Jake Davies (Yorkville) and linebacker Gary Rutherford (Peoria). The latest recruiting class includes one native, Pierre "PJ" Jackson, who lined up at receiver at Chicago's Morgan Park, the same high school that produced Durr Jr. One incoming transfer, Justin Taylor, a safety from Broadview, spent his first two collegiate seasons at Wisconsin.

* Wyoming has landed some stars from the Land of Lincoln in its history, including running backs Brian Hill (Belleville) and Xazavian Valladay (Chicago), wide receivers Ryan Yarborough (Park Forest) and Shawn Wiggins (Robbins), defensive tackle Pat Rabold (Glencoe), offensive tackle Mike LaHood (Peoria) and others.