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Hawaiʻi prepares for record 4,255-mile trip to face Northern Illinois

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 21, 2026, 7:02 PM

Last updated Oct 21, 2026

Hawaiʻi prepares for record 4,255-mile trip to face Northern Illinois

Summary

Hawaiʻi's football team is set for a 4,255-mile journey to DeKalb, Illinois, to play Northern Illinois on October 22. This trip marks the longest distance any FBS team has traveled for a conference game in the U.S. after Northern Illinois joined the Mountain West amid conference realignment. The Rainbow Warriors will have a complex travel schedule, leaving Oahu late on October 21 and landing in Chicago the next day, with a stop in Oakland. Challenges include adjusting to time zones and travel fatigue, which Hawaiʻi has faced before but in a unique context this season.

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Status Watch

•Hawaiʻi travels 4,255 miles for a conference game against Northern Illinois
•The game takes place on October 22, 2026
•Northern Illinois joined the Mountain West during recent conference realignments
•Players face a complicated travel schedule with time zone adjustments
•Hawaiʻi has struggled historically with long-distance games, holding a 5-20 record for trips over 4,000 miles

Latest Updates

7:02 PMYahoo Sports — Hawaiʻi is about to travel 4,255 miles for college football’s strangest conference game

What they're saying

"
Hawaiʻi knows brutal travel. But its record 4,255-mile conference trip to Northern Illinois takes college football absurdity to another level.
— Yahoo Sports

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