Northern Illinois, a longtime member of the Mid-American Conference, is joining the Horizon League for most of its sports offerings starting with the 2026-27 academic year. That includes men's and women's basketball, which will increase the Horizon League's basketball pools to 12 schools.

The Horizon League has welcomed its 12th full member, Northern Illinois University. The conference officially announced NIU’s addition Thursday afternoon during an introductory press conference at the university.

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.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Northern Kentucky Norse vs. Detroit Mercy Titans NCAAM game from March 4, 2025 on ESPN.

The Northern Kentucky Norse advanced to the quarterfinals of the Horizon League men’s basketball tournament with a dominant 99-75 win over the Detroit Mercy Titans.