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NIU has accepted a formal offer to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member, according to a Board of Trustees agenda item for a meeting scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The athletic department is requesting the board approve the $2 million fee to join the conference. The board requires approval for financial expenditures exceeding $500,000.
In the summary, the university said conference realignment has become a reality.
“In addition to providing the university with additional revenue, the move to the MWC will allow the university to grow its strong football brand and reaffirm its commitment to the success of our student-athletes,” the report states.
Despite rumors and reports that began in October, the school didn’t first confirm talks had taken place between the league and the school until mid-December.
According to the agenda item, NIU will join the Mountain West for football effective July 1, 2026, finishing the 2025 season as a member of the Mid-American Conference. The payment will be made in six installments.
“The costs to support the transition to the MWC, including travel, staffing, rebranding and exit fees will be primarily offset by increased revenues from multimedia rights, revenue distributions and guarantees from the conference as well as anticipated enhancements in revenue from ticket sales and donations,” the university states in the agenda item. “After admission to the MWC, a ramp-up period of one year is anticipated before revenues fully reach projected levels. The university does not plan to use existing institutional funds to support the transition.”
There was no mention of how much the MAC exit fees would be.
If approved, the Mountain West football lineup would include NIU, Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, Texas-El Paso and Wyoming beginning in 2026.
The university recommends the board approve the money.
NIU is coming off an 8-5 season under sixth-year coach Thomas Hammock. The Huskies won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against departing Mountain West member Fresno State in late December. The team handed Notre Dame, currently playing in the College Football Playoff semifinals, its only loss so far this season.
The agenda item makes no mention of what will happen to NIU’s non-football sports. It’s been reported that they too will leave the MAC for a different conference, but that has not been confirmed by the school.
The current MAC TV deal, which is set to expire in 2027, earns each school a reported $833,000 per year. The current Mountain West deal pays each school $3.5 million.
However, the current deal expires after the 2025 season. The conference is losing a lot of high-profile members to the Pac-12, including Boise State. However, according to a memorandum of understanding signed between the seven remaining full MWC members, the league is guaranteeing at least $3.5 million in revenue. It’s not known how it will affect new members such as UTEP and NIU.