Some of the best creations apparently were oopsies.
In Saratoga, N.Y., in 1853, a persnickety diner complained that a lodge's French-fried potatoes were too thick and mushy. The chef's solution was to thinly slice and deep-fry some potatoes. And that's how George Crum invented potato chips.
In the early 1990s, Pfizer scientists developed a medication to treat hypertension and angina. That was the initial marketing pitch until male patients noticed the medication had a lasting side effect. And that's how the little blue pill became a best seller.
In late 2024, the Mountain West scrambled to refill its membership roster. Enrollment was set to drop from 12 to seven after five schools announced plans to secede from the Mountain West on July 1, 2026, to join Pac-12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State. UTEP then joined the Mountain West as an all-sports member; Northern Illinois and North Dakota State accepted football-only memberships. And that's how Northern Illinois proved to be helpful for the Mountain West in general and Hawaii football team in particular.
As part of the rebuilding, it made sense to add UTEP and North Dakota State. UTEP was a charter member of the Mountain West. The Miners and New Mexico could renew their rivalry. Despite El Paso being one of the few Texas cities in the Mountain time zone, the conference still gets to plant a flag in the Lone Star State.
North Dakota State provides historical success (10 of 15 FCS national titles through 2025) and cashier's checks ($12.5 million entry fee to the league; $5 million to the NCAA for transitioning to the FBS). The Bison are viewed potentially as the next Boise State, which was a football powerhouse for 10 years in the WAC and another 15 seasons in the MW.
But Northern Illinois? With nine teams, each Mountain West school can play a balanced eight-game league schedule. With NIU as a 10th football member, now teams will not play one MW football member each season.
For a four-year period in the mid-2010s, the Huskies had three seasons of 10 or more victories. Lately, the Huskies have lost games — many, many games — and, this past January, their head coach.
And while NIU claims the Chicago market, the DeKalb campus is still 65 miles from the Second City's borders. It's similar to how a calabash cousin isn't considered next-of-kin.
But NIU is a low-risk investment. As a football-only member, the Huskies have limited voting rights, do not accept appearance fees from MW opponents, and do not burden the full-time MW members with additional travel costs for other sports. They also can get the boot if more attractive teams fill out membership applications.
Best of all, the Huskies provide scheduling flexibility and availability. Hawaii was booked into a challenging early schedule, with road games against two Power 4 schools and one in Laramie's 7,200-foot elevation. The Warriors were locked into the two nonconference road games — Stanford's was reciprocal, Arizona State paid a $1.3 million appearance fee to UH.
But this past Saturday's UH-NIU game had an ideal setting. Despite the 4,255-mile distance — the NCAA's longest between conference members — it was direct travel for the Warriors. (Their chartered flight stopped for fueling in Oakland.) The thermostat was in the mid-70s for kickoff. And the Huskies countered with the league's most accurate passer (Tyger Dickens) and prolific receiver (DeAree Rogers).
With new starters at the Warriors' four receiver positions, a reconfigured offensive line, and numerous injuries, it was going to take time to crank up the run-and-shoot offense. In Saturday's 56-21 rout, UH's once-dormant running attack awakened for five touchdowns; QB1 Micah Alejado and the receivers were on the proverbial "same page," and the defense forced five turnovers.
Despite the outcome, the Warriors are enduring difficult times. They are three years away, at least, from moving into a new stadium that is awaiting the old one to be fully razed. Because they are the only Mountain West school without a grass practice field, they have had to work out at high schools to prepare for games on natural surfaces. And they face the daunting financial challenge of trying to 1) retain players, and 2) recruit players to replace those who could not be retained.
The Mountain West needs UH, as one of its marquee members, to be good. The Warriors, whose schemes take time to ripen, need road games to places where weather and altitude are not deterrents. Both need Northern Illinois.
