INDIANAPOLIS (February 27, 2025) – Northern Illinois University will rejoin the Horizon League as our 12^th member starting in the 2026-27 season.
Why it Matters:
The Huskies will compete in 14 of the League's 19 sponsored sports, including men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, baseball, softball and men's and women's soccer.
 
Major Voices:
Northern Illinois University President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman
"We are delighted to be joining the Horizon League. The league will be a wonderful home and a great fit for Huskie Athletics. The regional footprint of the league provides NIU student-athletes with the opportunity to compete at a high level in cities throughout the Midwest while maintaining the high academic standards that have become a hallmark of NIU Athletics." 
 
Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach
"We are thrilled to welcome Northern Illinois University into #OurHorizon in a major move for our League and member institutions. The University's commitment to holistically developing students for their future aligns closely with our mission, vision and core values and we look forward to the major experiences and impact this will create for our student-athletes."
 
Northern Illinois University Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier
"We are looking forward to a great partnership with the Horizon League and are excited about the opportunities for NIU student-athletes to continue our legacy of success. Thanks to Commissioner Julie Roe Lach and the membership of the Horizon League, and to President Freeman and others in the NIU administration, who have been alongside as we chart the course for the future of NIU Athletics. This move continues our strategic approach to embracing a national model for our programs while preserving a regional base and returning to a league where Huskie Athletics can continue to thrive."
 
Horizon League Board of Directors Chair and Oakland University President Dr. Ora Pescovitz
"The Horizon League's commitment to growth and strength is clear through the addition of Northern Illinois University. There is important alignment academically, athletically and geographically which will have positive impact moving forward. We welcome President Freeman and all Huskies to the Horizon League!"
 
Dig Deeper:

• NIU posted a multi-year GSR score of 88 for the 2022-23 cohort with an APR score of 979 that same year, rivaling averages across the HL membership.
• Rashon Burno is in his fourth season as head coach at Northern Illinois in 2024-25.
  • Burno came to DeKalb following six seasons at Arizona State, including five as associate head coach, and is the 29th head coach in Huskie men's basketball history.
  • In 2023-24, Burno guided NIU to its best start since 2015-16 as the Huskies opened 5-1 with victories over Sun Belt regular season champion Appalachian State and NIU's first win over DePaul since 2005.
• Lisa Carlsen is in her 10th season in charge of the NIU women's basketball program.
  • Carlsen's teams have been recognized as one of the tops in the nation in the classroom. In 2023, NIU posted the third-highest team grade point average in the nation at 3.778 for its highest ranking in the WBCA Academic Top 25.
• The city of DeKalb, Ill. is located within the League's current Midwest footprint with an average distance to our current 11 campuses of less than 350 miles.
• NIU was previously in the Horizon League (then known as the MCC) from 1994-1997.
  • The Huskies won the League's McCafferty Trophy in the 1995-96 academic year.
• The Horizon League has made a splash on the national stage in multiple sports, including two appearances in the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship Game since 2010 while seven men's basketball programs have advanced to Sweet 16 in our history.
  • At the next level, 24 men's basketball student-athletes have been selected in the NBA Draft.
• Founded June 16, 1979, as the Midwestern City Conference with six charter members, the Horizon League celebrates its 46th season of operation in 2024-25.
• The Horizon League is headquartered in downtown Indianapolis, the global epicenter of sports, with offices in the J.F. Wild Building.
  • League member institutions are located throughout the Midwest's major metropolitan cities with nine schools in top-70 media markets.
• The HL and ESPN announced in 2021 a multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement, continuing a long-standing relationship that began in 1988.
  • Nine basketball games are on linear platforms each year, including the Horizon League men's basketball semifinals and championship, five regular season men's basketball contests, and the women's basketball championship game.
• The League supports the holistic development of our nearly four thousand student-athletes through several key initiatives including mental health grants for member institutions, our #OneHL working group and partnerships with Athlete Ally and Team Impact.