DeKalb Gets Its First Home Mountain West Game: NIU Homecoming Kickoff Set Against Air Force
Northern Illinois University's first home Mountain West Conference game will be the Homecoming matchup against Air Force on October 10 at 6:30 p.m. in DeKalb, according to the league's newly released schedule.
The Northern Illinois University football team will play its first home Mountain West Conference game on October 10, and the Huskies have scheduled it for the biggest day on the DeKalb calendar.
The game against Air Force will kick off at 6:30 p.m. during NIU's 119th Homecoming, according to a schedule release from the university on Wednesday.
A New Conference, A Familiar Tradition
The Huskies joined the Mountain West Conference for the 2026 season after decades in the MAC. The league announced kickoff times and broadcast information for the full regular season, giving DeKalb fans a clearer picture of what their first Mountain West year will look like.
"The Huskies are back on The CW when they head to North Dakota State on Saturday, Nov. 21 for a 3 p.m. kickoff," the university announced.
That quote covers one road game. But the home schedule is where DeKalb residents will feel the change most.
The Home Slate
NIU will host four home games in Huskie Stadium this fall:
- Sept. 12 vs. Illinois State, 6 p.m., MW+
- Oct. 10 vs. Air Force, 6:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network (Homecoming)
- Oct. 24 vs. Hawai'i, time TBA, MW+
- Nov. 14 vs. Nevada, time TBA, MW+
- Nov. 28 vs. UTEP, time TBA, MW+
The home opener against Illinois State on Sept. 12 will be the first home game of the season. It will air on MW+, the Mountain West's streaming platform.
The Homecoming game against Air Force on CBS Sports Network is the first nationally televised home game of the new conference era.
The Road Schedule
The Huskies open the season on the road and will travel heavily through November:
- Sept. 5 at Iowa, 3:15 p.m., Big Ten Network
- Sept. 19 at Arizona, 9:30 p.m., TNT/HBO Max
- Sept. 26 at Georgia State, time TBA, TBA
- Oct. 17 at Wyoming, 3:30 p.m., The CW
- Oct. 31 at UNLV, 9:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- Nov. 7 at San Jose State, time TBA, MW+
- Nov. 21 at North Dakota State, 3 p.m., The CW
The Halloween night game at UNLV on Oct. 31 will be a late-night road trip with a 9:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS Sports Network.
Season Tickets and Broadcasts
Season tickets are on sale now, starting at $102, according to NIU Athletics. Single game tickets will be available late summer.
Fans can purchase tickets at NIUHuskies.com/tickets, by calling the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225) weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or by emailing huskiestickets@niu.edu.
The Mountain West Football Championship Game is set for Friday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. on FOX, if the Huskies make it there.
What This Means for DeKalb
For a town built around Northern Illinois University, the conference change is more than a schedule shift. It is a rebranding of the Huskies' identity on the college football map.
The first home Mountain West game falling on Homecoming weekend means DeKalb will get to celebrate both milestones at once.