NIU to join Mountain West as football-only member?

[FeralFelidae]

Why? With all the departures, the MWC isn't much of a step up from the MAC in football, and NIU doesn't join them in basketball where they ARE a step up. Makes no sense.

 

[NJCat]

Top to bottom, MWC >> MAC. No Akrons or Kents in MWC. Better TV $$$s too.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Top to bottom, MWC >> MAC. No Akrons or Kents in MWC. Better TV $$$s too.

Who won last time Akron played NU?

 

[techtim72]

Gives NIU a better opportunity to poach portal players from MAC schools. It's a jungle out there.

 

[CatManTrue]

Why? With all the departures, the MWC isn't much of a step up from the MAC in football, and NIU doesn't join them in basketball where they ARE a step up. Makes no sense.

One reason.

 

[Sheffielder]

I don't really understand this move, either. Just read a Trib article about it and the head coach generally mentioned that playing early/mid-week games (which is part of the "MACtion" brand and their tv deal) was undesirable and the move to MWC will actually ease travel by plane over taking the bus regionally everywhere...but I hardly see this as the reason the board of trustees would approve a move...especially when NIU has generally been pretty successful in the MAC. There was no mention in the Trib article about tv money, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe NIU is going to make substantially move in MWC over the MAC.

 

[corbi296]

Why? With all the departures, the MWC isn't much of a step up from the MAC in football, and NIU doesn't join them in basketball where they ARE a step up. Makes no sense.

$$$$$$$. TV contract offers more money.

 

[Darren72]

They will make substantially more in the MWC.

More info here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6044708/2025/01/07/northern-illinois-mountain-west-realignment/

 

[its_the_sauce]

Should help their ticket base since no more worries about weekday night games in October/November.