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NIU board approves $2 million fee for football-only membership in Mountain West Conference
Summary
The Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees approved a $2 million membership fee to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member, payable in six annual installments and to be funded by conference revenue distributions and guarantees rather than current institutional funds.
Board Chair Montell Gales said the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees approved a $2,000,000 membership fee for NIU to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member, with membership effective July 1, 2026.
The board approved the item after trustees amended a typographical error in the payment schedule and voted on the full membership obligation. President Freeman presented the recommendation, saying, "This move will allow us to grow our strong football national brand and will put all of our athletic programs on a more sustainable track moving forward." The university proposed to pay the fee in six annual installments of $333,333.35 and said the fee and other transition expenses would be covered by conference revenue distributions and guarantees rather than drawn from current institutional funds.
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