The NIU Huskies are headed west. Northern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees approved a football-only move from the Mid-American Conference, or MAC, to the Mountain West Conference.
NIU President Lisa Freeman says the move opens up more opportunities both in terms of revenue and recruiting during a dynamic era of college football marked by Name-Image-Likeness agreements and conference realignment.
“This move will allow us to grow our strong football national brand," she said, "and we'll put all of our athletic programs on a more sustainable track moving forward."
The decision required board approval, because joining the conference costs a $2 million membership fee, payable in six installments.
Freeman says cost to transition to the Mountain West will be “primarily” offset by an expected increase in revenue from things like multimedia rights and ticket sales. She says they do not plan to use existing institutional funds to pay for the transition.
“The university is committed to a balanced budget in Fiscal Year [20]26," said Freeman, "and this will not hinder the progress at all. In fact, it will probably help.”
It’s unclear, at this point, which conference NIU’s other sports would compete in, but Athletic Director Sean Frazier says staying in the MAC would be their first choice.
