NIU Wrestling Joins Pac-12 Conference for 2026-2027 Season

The Northern Illinois University (NIU) wrestling team will officially join the Pac-12 Conference starting in the 2026-2027 season, marking a significant shift in the university’s athletic affiliations. This announcement, made on Wednesday, follows NIU’s exit from the Mid-American Conference, which will be finalized at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

With this transition, the only remaining NIU program without a conference affiliation is gymnastics. Earlier this year, NIU’s football program announced its plans to join the Mountain West Conference. Additionally, in March, the university secured a place in the Horizon League for all sports except football, wrestling, and gymnastics. All announced conference changes become official on July 1, 2026.

Strategic Decisions for a Competitive Future

NIU’s athletic director, Sean Fraizer, expressed enthusiasm about the move, stating, “We continue to find our place in this new landscape and are pleased to have our wrestling program join the Pac-12 Conference. It has been a thorough process to ensure that we found the right fit for our program and we believe we have found that with the Pac-12. I look forward to a bright future for Huskie wrestling.”

The transition to the Pac-12 comes at a time when the conference is embroiled in legal disputes. Currently, the Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over $55 million in alleged poaching fees. A recent motion by the Mountain West to dismiss this lawsuit was denied by a federal court, complicating the landscape for all involved parties.

NIU’s wrestling program will join other schools such as Oregon State, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, and Little Rock as part of the Pac-12 wrestling contingent. To maintain NCAA automatic qualification for its annual league champion, the Pac-12 must add at least one more wrestling program, meeting the minimum requirement of six members for the sport.

Building Opportunities for Student-Athletes

Head coach Ryan Ludwig shared his excitement about the new opportunity, stating, “We are thrilled to be joining such a competitive conference filled with prestigious wrestlers, coaches, and administrators committed to the sport. This will provide outstanding opportunities for our student-athletes to accomplish their goals while expanding the national footprint of the NIU Wrestling program.”

Last season, NIU wrestling posted a 7-3 dual record and sent a pair of student-athletes, Blake West and Landen Johnson, to the NCAA Championships. This achievement extended the program’s remarkable streak of sending at least one representative to the NCAA Championships for 54 consecutive years.

The ongoing disputes between the Pac-12 and Mountain West have created a tumultuous environment. The two conferences failed to reach an agreement for mediation by a July deadline, intensifying the legal battle. The exit clause in question stipulates payments of $10 million for the first team that departs, with that figure increasing by $500,000 for each additional team. Furthermore, schools are responsible for an additional $17 million in exit fees as part of prior agreements.

As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, NIU’s move to the Pac-12 represents a proactive step towards enhancing its wrestling program and providing valuable experiences for its athletes. The university’s decision aligns with broader trends in collegiate sports as institutions seek to position themselves in competitive environments.

Looking ahead, the Mountain West Conference is set to expand with the addition of NIU, among others, starting in 2026. This shift highlights the ongoing realignment within collegiate athletics as schools adapt to new challenges and opportunities. As NIU prepares for its new chapter in the Pac-12, the focus will remain on fostering success and growth for its student-athletes in a highly competitive landscape.