2026-27 Outlook
LangIndex projects Northern Illinois at #270 nationally for the 2026-27 college basketball season with a projected efficiency margin of -2.2 points per 100 possessions. That's a major climb from #361 a season ago, one of the bigger projected rises in the country. This projects as a development year.
Only 0% of last season's minutes return, so this roster will look very different. Expect some early-season volatility while new pieces settle in.
Last Season (2025-26)
Northern Illinois finished 2025-26 at 7-21, ranked #361 in the final LangIndex ratings with adjusted offense of 90.6 and adjusted defense of 119.7 points per 100 possessions.
How LangIndex Rates Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois's power rating of -2.2 is an adjusted efficiency margin: the points per 100 possessions the model expects them to outscore an average Division I team by, once you strip out schedule strength. It combines adjusted offensive efficiency, adjusted defensive efficiency, and pace into one number, so a rating of -2.2 means Northern Illinois projects to lose to a neutral-court average team by about 2 points on a typical night. The full live version updates every morning during the season.
Northern Illinois Rating History
Season-by-season LangIndex power rating and national rank. Northern Illinois has been fairly steady in the LangIndex ratings over this stretch. Their best finish in this window was #261 in 2022-23.
| Season | Power Rating | Nat. Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | -13.0 | #353 |
| 2024-25 | -17.4 | #349 |
| 2023-24 | -11.2 | #316 |
| 2022-23 | -6.5 | #261 |
| 2021-22 | -12.1 | #311 |
| 2020-21 | -21.0 | #334 |