Northern Illinois to join Horizon League for basketball, most other sports

DEKALB, Ill. (AP) — 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. One notable exception is football, with that program moving from the MAC to the Mountain West in 2026. NIU has also submitted a request to the MAC to allow its wrestling and gymnastics teams to remain in the league because the Horizon does not sponsor those sports.

Northern Illinois has played 39 seasons in the MAC over two stints from 1975 to 1985 and since 1997. It was independent in basketball from 1986 to 1990, spent four years in the Mid-Continent Conference and played in the Horizon League from 1994 to 1997 when it was known as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Northern Illinois joins Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Indiana University-Indianapolis, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wright State and Youngstown State in the Horizon.

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