As NIU football prepares for its first season in the Mountain West, the conference announced NIU’s home and away opponents on Thursday. NIU’s full schedule, including dates and times for conference matchups, will be announced at a later date. 

HOME

Making the trip to DeKalb from Hawai’i is the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Rainbow Warriors, who will face the Huskies for the first time in 2026. 

NIU will also take on the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Wyoming each for the third time in program history when the Wolf Pack and Cowboys come to NIU in 2026. 

The final Mountain West home opponent for the Huskies is another newcomer to the conference and a team they’ve faced once before — the University of Texas at El Paso Miners. 

AWAY

The Huskies will stay within the continental U.S. in 2026, with their furthest destination being San Jose, California, to take on the San Jose State University Spartans. 

NIU will face two new opponents in its first season in the Mountain West, traveling to Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico, to play the United States Air Force Academy and the University of New Mexico, respectively. 

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels have met the Huskies five times in the past, but the first time as conference-mates will come in Sin City.