The 2016 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

Led by fourth-year head coach Rod Carey, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 5–7 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing third in the MAC's West Division.

For the second straight year, the Huskies were picked to finish third in the division in 2016 in the poll released during the 2016 MAC Media Day at Ford Field in Detroit.

The game was scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time, but began almost two hours late due to lightning.

This was the first football game ever played at Guaranteed Rate Field, the recently-renamed stadium of the Chicago White Sox.