The Horizon League has welcomed its 12th full member, Northern Illinois University. The conference officially announced NIU’s addition Thursday afternoon during an introductory press conference at the university. NIU will join the conference in the 2026-27 academic year.
“We are delighted to be joining the Horizon League. The league will be a wonderful home and a great fit for Huskie athletics,” NIU President Lisa C. Freeman said. “The regional footprint of the league provides NIU student-athletes with the opportunity to compete at a high level in cities throughout the Midwest while maintaining the high academic standards that have become a hallmark of NIU athletics.”
NIU announced its departure from its former conference, the Mid-American Conference, in January, moving to the Mountain West as a football-only member.
The Huskies will compete in the Horizon League in men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s cross country, women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, baseball and softball.
The school is still awaiting a decision from the MAC regarding its application to keep gymnastics and wrestling as affiliate members of the conference.
“We are looking forward to a great partnership with the Horizon League and are excited about the opportunities for NIU student-athletes to continue our legacy of success,” NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier said. “This move continues our strategic approach to embracing a national model for our programs while preserving a regional base and returning to a league where Huskie athletics can continue to thrive.”
NIU will join Robert Morris in the conference. The two schools have rarely faced each other in athletics, having only played three softball games at a neutral site—one in 1995 and a two-game series in 2016. The Huskies lead the series 2-1.
With conference realignment reshaping college athletics, schools are moving more than ever, including Robert Morris. The Colonials joined the Horizon League in 2020, moved their football team to the Big South-OVC, men’s lacrosse to the Atlantic Sun (both programs have since returned to the NEC), and women’s lacrosse to the MAC.
For NIU, the move comes amid significant changes in college athletics. “The NCAA’s House case settlement alone will result in revenue sharing with student-athletes and increased scholarship numbers. The transfer portal and the ability of student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) have changed everything from recruiting to player development to what schools can provide,” the university stated.
NIU also believes its move to the Mountain West will improve its chances of reaching the College Football Playoff. The Huskies football team previously upset the eventual national runner-up, Notre Dame, on the road.
Geographically, the move to the Horizon League makes sense, keeping NIU in the Chicagoland region.
“We know that NIU has a strong brand and a great alumni, fan, and recruiting base here in Chicagoland,” NIU’s website states. “Playing in major markets across the Midwest, including going to Wisconsin, made the Horizon League very attractive. It’s a very competitive league with strong leadership and great vision that is going to offer NIU student-athletes opportunities to compete for championships across the board.”
Although NIU and Robert Morris may be strangers now, the schools will become familiar foes on the conference schedule starting in 2026.
