Northern Illinois to join Horizon League in 2026

As football heads west, Northern Illinois to join Horizon League in 2026
Northern Illinois, a longtime member of the Mid-American Conference, is joining the Horizon League for most of its sports offerings starting with the 2026-27 academic year. That includes men's and women's basketball, which will increase the Horizon League's basketball pools to 12 schools.
Northern Illinois' other sports join new league after football ditched the MAC
When Northern Illinois football left the Mid-American Conference for the Mountain West in January, many wondered what would happen to the rest of the school’s athletic programs. That question has been answered.
Western back to .500 in conference play with road win over Northern Illinois
Donovan Williams posted a double-double for the second consecutive game to help the Western Michigan men's basketball complete a season sweep of Northern Illino
Northern Illinois accepts invitation to Horizon League for basketball, most other sports
Northern Illinois accepted an invitation to join the Horizon League in basketball and most other sports except football on Thursday. The Huskies are set to become the league's 12th member and compete in 14 of its 19 sports starting with the 2026-27 academic year.
Willis scores 17, Western Michigan takes down Northern Illinois 74-70
Western Michigan went into halftime leading Northern Illinois 43-34. Willis scored 10 points in the half. Western Michigan used a 10-0 second-half run to take the lead at 65-56 with 8:25 remaining in the half before finishing off the victory. Willis scored seven second-half points.
Northern Illinois non-football sports join new conference, with 2 exceptions
Northern Illinois football is headed to a new conference, and so are most of their non-football sports. It's the latest step in realignment.
14 Northern Illinois University sports programs joining the Horizon League
Warriors center Quinten Post dropped a sarcastic one-liner about teammate Steph Curry's 56-point performance in Golden State's win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. Stephen Curry remains the best shooter of all time.
Northern Illinois to move non-football programs to Horizon League in 2026
Northern Illinois will move its basketball and other non-football programs to the Horizon League in 2026, the Board of Trustees approved in a vote Thursday. The move is the result of NIU recently announcing it will join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member in 2026.
Why NIU sees joining the Horizon League — and splitting up its sports — as ‘the right fit and the right time’
In front of a backdrop sporting the Northern Illinois and Horizon League logos Thursday at the NIU Convocation Center, Huskies athletic director Sean Frazier declared a second victory in two months for his department.
Cleveland State basketball will have a new Horizon League opponent next season
The Cleveland State men’s and women’s basketball programs will have new competition in the Horizon League next season. The Horizon League is making Northern Illinois University a new member of the conference,
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The world of college athletics has been changing for the last several years, and for a time, it looked like the Mid-American Conference was safe from realignment. That changed when Northern Illinois ...
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Hearing helicopters in northern Illinois or southern Wisconsin this week? Here’s why:
If you’ve heard the sound of helicopters buzzing overhead at night, that’s because the U.S. Army is conducting training this ...
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Northern Illinois sweeps SIUE in baseball doubleheader
Northern Illinois University swept a doubleheader from SIUE baseball Friday, picking up a 5-4 come-from-behind win in Game 1 and then winning 8-4 in a seven-inning contest in Game 2 at Roy E. Lee ...
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Northern Illinois plans to move non-football programs to Horizon League in 2026
Northern Illinois will move its basketball and other non-football programs to the Horizon League in 2026, pending a Board of Trustees vote on Thursday. The move is the result of NIU recently ...
UAB men’s basketball lands commitment from JUCO prospect
The 6-foot-2 guard from Dayton, Ohio, also held offers from Northern Illinois, Cal State Fullerton, East Tennessee State and ...
Bill Self says David Coit could bring Kansas basketball a ‘whole different dimension’
Kansas basketball wasn’t finished adding to its 2024-25 roster. Here’s more on what Northern Illinois transfer David Coit could bring to the Jayhawks.
Hoodline2d
Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney's Office Collects Over $100 Million in Fiscal Year 2024
Northern District of Illinois recovers over $100 million in FY2024 from civil, criminal, and forfeiture actions.