COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference today announced the addition of Northern Illinois University as an affiliate member for women’s gymnastics beginning July 1, 2026.
The addition of NIU keeps the MW women’s gymnastics membership at four programs, as the Huskies will join Air Force, UC Davis and San José State for 2026-27 and beyond.
“The Mountain West is excited to welcome Northern Illinois University as an affiliate member in women’s gymnastics beginning in 2026,” MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. “With the addition of NIU, the full membership of UC Davis, and the continued dedication of Air Force and San José State, we are reinforcing our commitment to expanding opportunities and elevating the student-athlete experience across our conference.”
NIU has competed in the Mid-American Conference in gymnastics since 1981. The Huskies have sent at least one participant to NCAA Regionals each year since 2014 and have had at least eight Academic All-MAC selections in each year since 2019.
“We are very happy to have our gymnastics program joining the Mountain West,” said Sean T. Frazier, NIU Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation. “With football having already begun the transition to the Mountain West, we know that we have a great relationship with the conference and are excited to add gymnastics to that partnership.”
Located 65 miles due west of Chicago with close to 260,000 living alumni in the nation’s third largest city, Northern Illinois University is a public institution founded in 1895. It is included in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Research Universities—High Research Activity category and is a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The university and its colleges have institutional membership or other affiliations in or with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Council on Education, Association of State Colleges and Universities, Council of Graduate Schools, and Universities Research Association.
“We are pleased to have our NIU gymnastics program competing in the Mountain West Conference,” NIU President Lisa C. Freeman said. “To align another one of our programs with the Mountain West is great for our student-athletes and will provide positive opportunities for the future of Huskie gymnastics.”
The Mountain West added women’s gymnastics for the 2023-24 season and has sent a pair of teams to NCAA Regionals in each year of competition so far. In 2025, all four MW programs were represented at the regionals between team and individual selections.
As previously announced, NIU is also joining the MW as a football affiliate in 2026.
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