Northern Illinois University 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

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. People familiar with the situation told The Athletic that while they expect the vote approving the $2 million membership fee to go through,

Northern Illinois appears headed to the Mountain West as a football-only member. The school has officially accepted an invite from the conference and its board of trustees is set to vote on the move Tuesday.

The Mountain West is set to add a new school to its conference if all goes well. The Mountain West has invited Northern Illinois University to join the conference.