Football | December 18
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- Mountain West Release
DeKALB, Ill. – The Mountain West Conference announced home and away opponents for the 2026 football season, revealing Northern Illinois University football’s first-ever Mountain West conference slate.
In coordination with this announcement, season ticket renewals and special giving opportunities to receive unique Mountain West inaugural season memorabilia are now available. Current season ticket members will receive an e-mail soon detailing their season ticket renewal, along with information on the new, optional excellence fee.
“This is an exciting announcement as we can now begin planning travel and logistics for our 2026 conference schedule,” said NIU Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier. “Our road games include many attractive destinations that I know Huskie Nation will look forward to visiting. As we make this move into a new era for Huskie Football in the Mountain West, we also understand the need for additional resources in order to compete in the new landscape of college athletics. There has been no greater time for our supporters to directly impact the success of our student-athletes than right now, and I am confident that Huskie Nation will continue to help us do that.”
NIU welcomes four conference opponents to Huskie Stadium next season in Hawai’i, Nevada, UTEP and Wyoming. The Huskies have played both Nevada and Wyoming twice before while facing UTEP once previously. The 2026 meeting with Hawai’i will be the first for NIU.
The Huskies will travel to Air Force, New Mexico, San José State and UNLV next season. NIU has the most previous experience with UNLV, playing the Rebels five times. The Huskies have played San José State once while the Air Force and New Mexico games will mark the first ever meetings for NIU against those schools.
Previous games against Nevada and San José State came when the Huskies were a part of the Big West Conference (1993-95).
The full NIU Football schedule, including dates, will be released at a later date.
As NIU Football enters a new era in the Mountain West, NIU Athletics is launching a special giving initiative to help shape the future of Huskie Football during this historic transition.
The initiative features two exclusive giving levels that offer Huskie supporters the opportunity to be part of this milestone moment while receiving limited-edition inaugural items available only through this effort.
• The $260 level includes an Inaugural Commemorative Ticket, created to mark NIU Football’s first season in the Mountain West Conference. This item is limited to just 100 supporters, making it a rare keepsake celebrating a defining chapter in Huskie history.
• The $2,600 level includes an Inaugural Framed NIU Mountain West Jersey (#26), a premium collectible honoring the Huskies’ entrance into the conference. Limited to only 10 supporters, this exclusive piece serves as a lasting tribute to those helping shape the future of Huskie Football.
Proceeds from the initiative will directly support Huskie Football and the student-athlete experience. Huskie fans are encouraged to participate in this limited opportunity as NIU begins competition in the Mountain West Conference. If you are interested in traveling to any MW away games with the official NIU travel party, please reach out to the HAF at 815-753-1923.
