DEKALB, Ill. (WIFR) – Northern Illinois University enters a new era for its 17 sports teams starting with the 2026-27 school year.
14 teams will now compete in the Horizon League:
- Basketball (men’s and women’s)
- Volleyball
- Soccer (men’s and women’s)
- Women’s Cross Country
- Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
- Tennis (men’s and women’s)
- Golf (men’s and women’s)
- Baseball
- Softball
NIU announced this move in February 2025. As a member of the Horizon League from 1994-97 (previously the Midwest Collegiate Conference), five different NIU teams won eight total league titles in this span, including the all-sports champion trophy in 1995-96.
The baseball team won a school record 36 games in 2026, won the MAC Tournament and picked up its first program win in the NCAA Tournament.
The men’s soccer team changes conferences after winning a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title.
NIU football and women’s gymnastics will be in the Mountain West. The football team’s won six MAC championships and played in 15 college bowl games since 2004.
The football team announced they’d join the conference in January 2025, following by gymnastics in
Wrestling moves to the Pac-12 Conference. The program’s wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships 55 straight years.
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