DeKALB — The Northern Star has obtained a copy of NIU’s membership agreement with the Mountain West Conference through a Freedom of Information Act request to NIU.
However, the agreement has been heavily redacted. NIU cited Section 7(1)(g) of the Freedom of Information Act, which protects trade secrets and commercial or financial information from public disclosure.
“Items redacted would adversely affect the Mountain West Conference and cause competitive harm to the conference especially with the current competition of college athletics and collegiate athletic conferences,” NIU told the Northern Star in an email Thursday evening.
Though financials are hidden, the agreement sheds new light on NIU’s move to the Mountain West as a football-only member, which becomes effective July 1, 2026. If NIU does not join the conference by that date, the school would owe the Mountain West $4 million in liquidated damages.
Among the details found in the agreement are:
- NIU will receive an incentive payment from the Mountain West within 30 days of joining the conference. The amount of the payment has been redacted.
- The Mountain West will pay a fixed amount toward NIU’s exit fee owed to the Mid-American Conference. The amount the Mountain West will cover is redacted.
- NIU will receive revenue distributions as a football-only member of the Mountain West. The estimated revenue share NIU will receive in its first year of membership has been redacted.
- NIU will receive a percentage of media revenue in 2026-27 and a higher percentage in 2027-28 and onward. The percentages NIU will receive each year have been redacted.
- NIU will pay the Mountain West an entrance fee in six annual installments. Though the agreement redacted the amount, NIU publicly revealed the fee to be $2 million.
- NIU will be part of the Mountain West’s Grant of Rights Agreement, which runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2032. This will grant the Mountain West the media rights necessary to perform its media contracts.
- NIU will pay annual dues to the Mountain West. Those dues will be a percentage of a full member’s dues, but the percentage and estimated amount have been redacted.
- NIU will increase its football budget before the start of the 2026 season and then again before the 2027 season. The budget amounts for both seasons have been redacted. NIU spent $7.93 million on football in fiscal year 2023.
The full contract obtained by the Northern Star can be found below.
