LARAMIE, Wyo. — As the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame make a deep playoff run, the only team they couldn’t take down in the 2024 football season — the Northern Illinois Huskies — are joining the Mountain West.
According to a release by the Mountain West Conference, the Huskies will be joining the conference in a football-only capacity. NIU went 8–5 this past football season, which is better than all but two MW schools: UNLV and Boise State.
Considering that Boise State and four other schools currently in the MW are set to depart for the Pac-12 in 2026, NIU is set up to be one of the better programs in the new MW conference.
This makes the third new addition to the shifting MW conference after Grand Canyon University and the University of Texas at El Paso announced recently that they would be joining in mid-2026 as well. Additionally, the University of Hawai’i, which previously only participated in football in the MW, announced it would be joining as a full-time member.
NIU is coming from the MAC, where it last won a conference championship in football in 2021. The school’s history of success in its conference and its recent success against high-level opponents were reportedly considered by the MW in its decision to admit the program, according to the conference release.
“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,” the release stated.
The last time NIU and the University of Wyoming faced each other in football was Sept. 11, 2021, in which Wyoming won 50–43. At the time, Wyoming star running back Harrison Waylee ran the field in an NIU jersey and led the game in rushing yards.
NIU leadership cited MW media coverage, among other factors, as enticing for the program.
“The impact of this move to the Mountain West is going to be felt throughout our entire department and university,” NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean Frazier said. “Our fans are going to enjoy the competition, the media coverage, and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions.”
For more information on the NIU football program, visit the university’s athletics website.
