The Chicago State Cougars will officially kick off its football program in 2026. The first game is set for Saturday, August 29, 2026, against an opponent to be named later. Chicago State will play the 2026 season as an independent team and join the NEC in 2027.
The movement towards a football program has been several years in the making. The school formed an exploratory committee in January 2023 and started fundraising by September 2023. The original timeline had the Cougars taking the field in 2025, but that was delayed to 2026.
In April 2025, Chicago State hired Bobby Rome as the head coach, but the school still hadn’t officially announced the start date. That happened on Thursday when the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the addition of football for the 2026-27 academic year.
There are still some hurdles for Chicago State’s football program. It is currently unknown where the team will play. Rome will have to hire staff and recruit over the next few months, as spring football practice looms. There is also the matter of finding opponents for the upcoming season. All these will need to be resolved on a truncated timetable leading up to the start of the 2026 season in late August.
In 2027, Chicago State will play a full NEC schedule, which is slated to have 9 teams for the 2027 season: Central Connecticut State, Chicago State, Duquesne, Long Island, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Robert Morris, Stonehill, and Wagner. That assumes no additional NEC membership changes by 2027, which is never a guarantee in college football.
Photo courtesy of Chicago State University Athletics
