The Mountain West Conference is expanding once again. Northern Illinois is paying $2 million to join the league as a football-only member, per Huskie Wire and several other news outlets.

At time of writing, only the Northern Illinois football program is joining. The fate of the other athletic programs at the school is undecided. Northern Illinois football will join the Mountain West for the 2026 season.

“We are excited about adding Northern Illinois football to the Mountain West,” Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement, per CBS. “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.”

Northern Illinois football posted a massive win this season. It was the only school to defeat Notre Dame, who is in the semis of the College Football Playoff. Northern Illinois currently plays in the Mid-American Conference, or MAC.

MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher was disappointed with the news.

“The MAC remains a strong conference, very well-positioned to continue to compete at the highest level in intercollegiate athletics,” Steinbrecher said in a statement.

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The MAC added UMass in recent months, as conference realignment continues.

The Mountain West is moving ahead after losing several schools

The Mountain West conference looked to expand in recent months. The conference had several schools decide to bolt for the Pac-12. The Pac-12 is adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State and San Diego State. Gonzaga is also joining the Pac-12 as a basketball only member.

While the Mountain West looked like it might fall apart, the league has slowly found its footing. UNLV decided to remain a member, and that was the first sign of good things to come. The league is adding Northern Illinois to go with Air Force, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, San Jose State, Wyoming, UTEP and Hawaii. While those schools may not all be football powers, the league is surely to have some competitive games.

Northern Illinois football finished the 2024 season with a 8-5 record, while going 4-4 in the MAC.