Northern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees are holding a special meeting this afternoon and are expected to approve the $2 million membership fee for the school’s football team to move to the Mountain West Conference.

NIU has agreed to leave the MAC to join the Mountain West in football only and the NIU Board of Trustees will discuss the move this week. Here's what that move means for the Huskies.

DeKalb, Illinois isn’t known for its mountains, but that isn’t stopping Northern Illinois from sending its football program out West.  According to Brett McMurp

Northern Illinois called a board meeting for Tuesday regarding an invitation to join the Mountain West in July 2026, according to a public meeting report. The expectation is it will accept the Huskies’ invitation as a football-only member.

Northern Illinois’ board of trustees will meet Tuesday to discuss and vote on the acceptance of an invitation to join the Mountain West as a football-only member in 2026.

Northern Illinois will ask its Board of Trustees on Tuesday to allow the school's football program to move into the Mountain West, per a special meeting posted