A college football program is expected to switch conferences before the 2026 season.
Conference realignment has changed the sport in recent years. The Big Ten appears to be the big winner, with two of its teams (Penn State and Ohio State) making the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff. The SEC improved the quality of their conference with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma.
A college football program is set to switch conferences
Per Brett McMurphy of Action Network, the Mountain West is set to take a program from the MAC. Northern Illinois is expected to accept an invitation to join the MW in 2026.
“Northern Illinois’ board on Tuesday expected to accept offer to join Mountain West as football-only member in 2026, industry sources said,” McMurphy posted on X. “The addition of MAC’s most successful program gives MW 9 football schools, stretching 4 time zones. NIU expected to receive substantially more revenue in MW than in MAC. NIU considering several options where its non-football sports will play, sources said. Adding NIU in football plus Grand Canyon & UC Davis as non-football members are final pieces of MW’s expansion, source said.”
Breaking: Northern Illinois’ board on Tuesday expected to accept offer to join Mountain West as football-only member in 2026, industry sources said. The addition of MAC’s most successful program gives MW 9 football schools, stretching 4 time zones. NIU expected to receive…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 3, 2025
NIU has won five MAC conference titles since 2011.
Northern Illinois upset Notre Dame in 2024
The Huskies are coming off a solid 2024 season, finishing with an 8-5 record. NIU upset then-No. 5 Notre Dame 16-14 at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 7. The win helped elevate North Illinois’ status throughout the season.
Now NIU will likely join a conference that has a better chance for them to make the CFP. Boise State made the CFP and earned a bye in the first round before ultimately losing 31-14 to No. 6 seed Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday night.
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