The Mountain West Conference has announced the addition of Northern Illinois in football after the school's board of trustees approved the move on Tuesday. Northern Illinois, which will begin competing in the conference in 2026,

The Mountain West Conference will have nine football-playing members for the 2026 season. Northern Illinois was officially introduced as the latest member of the conference on Tuesday. The Huskies compete in the Mid-American Conference and are still considering options for all non-football sports,

Northern Illinois will join the Mountain West as a football-only member in 2026, joining Air Force, Hawai'i, UNLV, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State and Wyoming.