Chicago State may finally start fielding a team in 2026

[bonarae]

Coaching search will start this February.

https://fearthefcs.com/2025/01/10/chicago-state-aiming-for-first-fcs-season-in-2026/

[ElCid]

Coaching search will start this February.

https://fearthefcs.com/2025/01/10/chicago-state-aiming-for-first-fcs-season-in-2026/

Interesting. Don't know how they will sustain scholarships. They have an endowment of under $10M and an undergrad enrollment of 1650'ish. That would rival VMI or Wofford or Wagner for the smallest number of undergrads. With the pending cliff of expected overall college enrollment, it will be challenging. But those schools also have much, much bigger endowments, not to mention reputations. Best of luck to them though.

[Outsider1]

ElCid, you took the word out of my mouth, "interesting". A small school that has been struggling in its place. It moved from the WAC to the NEC around '22, which is a much better fit for them. If they are going to start football, the NEC would again be a better place to do it. We will have to wait and see if it pans out for them.

[POD Knows]

ElCid, you took the word out of my mouth, "interesting". A small school that has been struggling in its place. It moved from the WAC to the NEC around '22, which is a much better fit for them. If they are going to start football, the NEC would again be a better place to do it. We will have to wait and see if it pans out for them.
Given their location and the media market, they will be FBS before the quality FCS programs. Only slightly kidding

[BisonFan02]

Given their location and the media market, they will be FBS before the quality FCS programs. Only slightly kidding

To me, it looks like another great bus school for the MVC members to lure into the MVFC....a team they can compete with on a budget.

[DFW HOYA]

Interesting. Don't know how they will sustain scholarships. They have an endowment of under $10M and an undergrad enrollment of 1650'ish. That would rival VMI or Wofford or Wagner for the smallest number of undergrads. With the pending cliff of expected overall college enrollment, it will be challenging. But those schools also have much, much bigger endowments, not to mention reputations. Best of luck to them though.

According to their EADA report, full time enrollment is 935.

[Laker]

According to their EADA report, full time enrollment is 935.

A few years back, their incoming freshman class was around 85. Not sure why they are even in D1. They should be in D2.

[KnightoftheRedFlash]

The school wouldn't even exist if it weren't for public money.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

To throw some history on this, Chicago State has been long rumored to want to field a football team, and for a very long time were rumored to compete in the Pioneer as a non-scholarship program. This makes some sense, as it would be a tuition driver to help the overall school attract paying students. Adding them to a full-scholarship NEC with a lot of travel costs is many things, but it doesn't appear to be that.

[DFW HOYA]

I think it's wishful thinking at best for Chicago State, a university with a history of struggling to get things done, to have a football team up and running in just 18 months, given:

1. No coach
2. No staff
3. No recruits
4. No equipment
5. No gameday stadium
6. No practice facility
7. No S&C facility
and...
8. No schedule!

[SiouxFallsRabbits]

I’ve been seeing stories for about a decade about how Chicago State is close to shutting down and now they want to go and start a football team? It’s an abysmal school and the city of Chicago and state of Illinois would be better off closing it and using the funding on UIC or any of the other good public universities.

[ST_Lawson]

The school wouldn't even exist if it weren't for public money.

That statement is true for many (most?) public universities though. Isn't that essentially the point of public universities...they are heavily supported by public money.

[dbackjon]

The school wouldn't even exist if it weren't for public money.

That is basically every public school in the nation.

The whole point of public education. The thing that actually helped make the USA great in the first place.

[ElCid]

That statement is true for many (most?) public universities though. Isn't that essentially the point of public universities...they are heavily supported by public money.


That is basically every public school in the nation.

The whole point of public education. The thing that actually helped make the USA great in the first place.

This is true, but I think his point, and I have heard this, is the amount of money, as a percentage of the budget that this school has received over the years. All public schools received money, obviously. But most schools fund "most" of their costs via their operations (tuition, etc). Schools where "most" of their costs are footed by the government, continually, are not sustainable and are financially questionable as an enterprise. Getting through rough financial patches is different than constant and excessively funding a school. I'm not sure what % has been funded for this school by government (city or state), but I've heard it has been fairly high. However I don't have the exact figures in front of me. At some point it needs to primarily sustain itself and the government fund it only to bridge the big gaps. It's not like there aren't lots of public colleges in Ill. I doubt education opportunities would greatly suffer.

[DFW HOYA]

I think the larger issue is that the state of Illinois supports/props up three universities in the Chicago area which would collapse of its own weight without steady state funding:

Chicago State (I-AAA, 935 FTE): $43.4 million, 67% of budget
Governors State (NAIA, 2,593): $26.5 million, 43% of budget
Northeastern Illinois (Dropped all athletics, 2,579): $41.2 million, 27% of budget

The flagship in Champaign gets $721 million, 10% of its budget.

[WestCoastAggie]

Interesting. Don't know how they will sustain scholarships. They have an endowment of under $10M and an undergrad enrollment of 1650'ish. That would rival VMI or Wofford or Wagner for the smallest number of undergrads. With the pending cliff of expected overall college enrollment, it will be challenging. But those schools also have much, much bigger endowments, not to mention reputations. Best of luck to them though.

Two Words: Enrollment Management

[WestCoastAggie]

I think the larger issue is that the state of Illinois supports/props up three universities in the Chicago area which would collapse of its own weight without steady state funding:

Chicago State (I-AAA, 935 FTE): $43.4 million, 67% of budget
Governors State (NAIA, 2,593): $26.5 million, 43% of budget
Northeastern Illinois (Dropped all athletics, 2,579): $41.2 million, 27% of budget

The flagship in Champaign gets $721 million, 10% of its budget.

How much are UIC and Northern Illinois getting? Also, It may make sense for the state to consolidate these three schools into one.

[DFW HOYA]

How much are UIC and Northern Illinois getting? Also, It may make sense for the state to consolidate these three schools into one.

NIU: $100.6 million. By this link, UIC expenditures are rolled up into the flagship request.

https://www.ibhe.org/assets/files/hesb/2025/FY2025_Appropriations_for_Higher_Education_(SB251_ Senate_Amendment_3).pdf

[ElCid]

How much are UIC and Northern Illinois getting? Also, It may make sense for the state to consolidate these three schools into one.

Less admin, overhead, etc. Lots of people out of work. Otherwise why do it. Not to stray into political territory, but not sure that would float with the powers that be. Even if it makes perfect sense. Better for all involved though, including the students who have to worry if their school is one budget crisis away from closing.

[ElCid]

The example in the article is a private school, but the issues it faces are the same as public schools.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/can-struggling-colleges-be-saved/amp/

[WestCoastAggie]

The example in the article is a private school, but the issues it faces are the same as public schools.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/can-struggling-colleges-be-saved/amp/

Private colleges are going to wither on the vine over the next 25 years. However, schools like Chicago State will be able to stick around due to the state's funding them.

[Outsider1]

Private colleges are going to wither on the vine over the next 25 years. However, schools like Chicago State will be able to stick around due to the state's funding them.

I wouldn't make a blanket statement about which types of colleges will wither. I think you are probably correct in your second one.

[WestCoastAggie]

I wouldn't make a blanket statement about which types of colleges will wither. I think you are probably correct in your second one.

Multiple smaller private colleges have closed over the last 10 years across sectors.

[Outsider1]

Multiple smaller private colleges have closed over the last 10 years across sectors.

Yes, but others are doing fine.

[DFW HOYA]

Multiple smaller private colleges have closed over the last 10 years across sectors.

And as we speak...

"I am personally writing to share some of the clarity we've been given as a campus about our future. Beginning in Fall 2025, Jessup University's Portland Campus will no longer offer traditional on-ground undergraduate classes, NAIA athletics, or the CACREP-accredited Master of Arts in Counseling program. These programs will not continue next fall, which is a deeply felt loss for our community. The impact and missional fulfillment of these programs has been vast. This transition reflects the financial challenges facing higher education and Jessup's strategic vision for sustainability and impact, not a lack of value for these programs or the students they serve."

https://gomulions.com/news/2025/1/13/general-important-update-multnomah-campus-of-jessup-university-athletics.aspx

[Outsider1]

And as we speak...

"I am personally writing to share some of the clarity we've been given as a campus about our future. Beginning in Fall 2025, Jessup University's Portland Campus will no longer offer traditional on-ground undergraduate classes, NAIA athletics, or the CACREP-accredited Master of Arts in Counseling program. These programs will not continue next fall, which is a deeply felt loss for our community. The impact and missional fulfillment of these programs has been vast. This transition reflects the financial challenges facing higher education and Jessup's strategic vision for sustainability and impact, not a lack of value for these programs or the students they serve."

https://gomulions.com/news/2025/1/13/general-important-update-multnomah-campus-of-jessup-university-athletics.aspx

Again, others are doing fine. Private colleges aren't going away.

https://news.harding.edu/2022/09/harding-university-enrollment-bolstered-by-a-larger-freshman-class.html

[KnightoftheRedFlash]

That is basically every public school in the nation.

The whole point of public education. The thing that actually helped make the USA great in the first place.

Chicago State is a bloody disaster.

It is a drain on taxpayers.

Plenty of other public schools don't needlessly waste public funds.

Good public education made America great.

[Outsider1]

Chicago State is a bloody disaster.

It is a drain on taxpayers.

Plenty of other public schools don't needlessly waste public funds.

Good public education made America great.

Would totally agree. There are public and private institutions both that have wasted funds. There are both public and private institutions that are suffering and doing fine. Good public education has always been a bedrock of the US.

[Libertine]

And as we speak...

"I am personally writing to share some of the clarity we've been given as a campus about our future. Beginning in Fall 2025, Jessup University's Portland Campus will no longer offer traditional on-ground undergraduate classes, NAIA athletics, or the CACREP-accredited Master of Arts in Counseling program. These programs will not continue next fall, which is a deeply felt loss for our community. The impact and missional fulfillment of these programs has been vast. This transition reflects the financial challenges facing higher education and Jessup's strategic vision for sustainability and impact, not a lack of value for these programs or the students they serve."

https://gomulions.com/news/2025/1/13/general-important-update-multnomah-campus-of-jessup-university-athletics.aspx

Just for the sake of clarity, Jessup University is in Rocklin, CA and the "Portland campus" referenced here was originally Multonomah University, an NAIA school in Portland, OR whose enrollment was never large but which had declined to around 300 undergrads. MU was subsequently bought out by Jessup. As one might imagine, Jessup apparently found it unwieldy to manage two separate campuses 600 miles apart in two different states and decided to shut down "the Portland campus". While Multnomah -- a private religious school -- obviously struggled, there is nothing public to suggest that Jessup -- also a private religious school -- will imminently suffer the same fate.

[dbackjon]

This is true, but I think his point, and I have heard this, is the amount of money, as a percentage of the budget that this school has received over the years. All public schools received money, obviously. But most schools fund "most" of their costs via their operations (tuition, etc). Schools where "most" of their costs are footed by the government, continually, are not sustainable and are financially questionable as an enterprise. Getting through rough financial patches is different than constant and excessively funding a school. I'm not sure what % has been funded for this school by government (city or state), but I've heard it has been fairly high. However I don't have the exact figures in front of me. At some point it needs to primarily sustain itself and the government fund it only to bridge the big gaps. It's not like there aren't lots of public colleges in Ill. I doubt education opportunities would greatly suffer.


Why shouldn't the vast majority of costs for a public education come from the state?

[POD Knows]

Why shouldn't the vast majority of costs for a public education come from the state?Aren't you curious as to what % of a colleges funding comes from the state and what % comes from tuition and other non tax revenue. That should be public record and easily accessible and you can bet your ass that Chicago State gets virtually all of their money from the public sector/taxpayers. And it should matter what % of the operational costs are borne by the public and what % is revenue generated but I get that you DGAF how many tax dollars are thrown into the bottomless pit of public education. My last post on this subject as it is tightroping politics and I have had enough timeouts for crossing the line on this. xnodx:D

[SDFS]

Aren't you curious as to what % of a colleges funding comes from the state and what % comes from tuition and other non tax revenue. That should be public record and easily accessible and you can bet your ass that Chicago State gets virtually all of their money from the public sector/taxpayers. And it should matter what % of the operational costs are borne by the public and what % is revenue generated but I get that you DGAF how many tax dollars are thrown into the bottomless pit of public education. My last post on this subject as it is tightroping politics and I have had enough timeouts for crossing the line on this. xnodx:D

I tried to rep your post. I have children currently attending multiple public/private schools - costs are out of line, value is missing in many cases. Feel sorry for the kids taking some of these useless programs. But, they will find a public sector job live as serfs to the government and have the debts forgiven at some point. I don't understand it. I forced my kids into the STEM path.

[Libertine]

Why shouldn't the vast majority of costs for a public education come from the state?

Theoretically, it should but, practically, it can't. I really don't want to open a political can of worms but government at all levels is OK at addressing present costs of things but really bad at assuming that those present costs will remain static and also hardly ever takes into account how its own actions combined with human nature and market forces actually affect things.

In this case, a college education has long seen as a golden ticket into the higher levels of the workforce. Politicians stepped in to provide that opportunity to more people through government funding, which is all well and good but didn't take into account that the value of a college education was not just in its quality but its scarcity. Every time that funding for a product is artificially increased, the price of that product doesn't go down but artificially rises to meet the new artificial limit of the available funding. In terms of the education market, even though the supply of the product is more widely available, the price of the product still goes up even as its overall value in the job market diminishes due to it no longer being as scarce. Also, educating institutions are now more likely to treat their "product" -- the education -- less like craftsmen and more like manufacturers, meaning that the quality of the product is also diminished as institutions try to crank out as many graduates as possible. This forces colleges then to compete with each other for students -- and the federal aid dollars that come with them -- creating something of a collegiate arms race where schools cannot remain idle with the programs or facilities that they offer and, sometimes, the quality of students that they admit. They have to keep adding services and infrastructure and sometimes admit students that they can only hope to see graduate meaning that the aid dollars which those schools get from at-risk students is initially available but not sustainable.

State and federal Dept of Ed. budgets cannot possibly hope to keep up with these factors -- partially of their own creation -- so schools have to find a way to come up with additional funding that isn't tied to state budgets.

tl:dr version -- Colleges feed at a trough of government funding that can't possibly keep up with demand.

[ElCid]

Why shouldn't the vast majority of costs for a public education come from the state?

As a philosophical question, I would say because the institution and resulting product is dependent upon the politicians and not the true intrinsic value of the institution. I'm talking about post secondary education. Grade schools and high schools are obviously a different animal.

If the value of a school's education is worthy, it can charge what it needs to based on demand. If it has little value for it's customers, or there is no real demand, it can't. This obviously affects quality. Pumping in tax dollars to keep a failing institution operating discourages that institution from making the changes necessary to improve themselves. When it is reliant on the good will of politicians, it can obviously become a vehicle for graft, corruption, and quid pro quo political support. Not saying that is true for this school because I don't know enough about it's nuts and bolts. That's just a universal reality of funding issues whenever public funds are used.

And as I mentioned, this doesn't mean no public funds. But just continual funds for large portions of it's operations that should be met from its operations. And as someone already stated there seems to a plethora of like institutions that multiply the use of tax dollars. Some consolidation appears to be in order to maximize savings from reducing duplicate expenditures. Not to mention the numerous choices of other schools that operate more efficiently and require much less continuous direct government support.

Unfortunately the demographic cliff and changes in how people view the current value of college will result in a number of schools shutting down. This has happened all through history. The strong and efficient will survive. Others won't.

[WestCoastAggie]

Yes, but others are doing fine.

Let me say it this way; If you school is private, has a small-ish endowment, enrollment hasn't grown significantly, and doesn't have many other revenue sources, they are going to be in trouble. This will go for many smaller, liberal arts colleges across the country, HBCU, MSI, PBI, Tribal Colleges, or PWI.

That's not to blanket all of them. Many privates have established endowments and have multiple sources of income including wealthy donors, and their enrollments aren't slipping.

[Outsider1]

Let me say it this way; If you school is private, has a small-ish endowment, enrollment hasn't grown significantly, and doesn't have many other revenue sources, they are going to be in trouble. This will go for many smaller, liberal arts colleges across the country, HBCU, MSI, PBI, Tribal Colleges, or PWI.

That's not to blanket all of them. Many privates have established endowments and have multiple sources of income including wealthy donors, and their enrollments aren't slipping.

You are on point with that one.

[ElCid]

Let me say it this way; If you school is private, has a small-ish endowment, enrollment hasn't grown significantly, and doesn't have many other revenue sources, they are going to be in trouble. This will go for many smaller, liberal arts colleges across the country, HBCU, MSI, PBI, Tribal Colleges, or PWI.

That's not to blanket all of them. Many privates have established endowments and have multiple sources of income including wealthy donors, and their enrollments aren't slipping.

Absolutely. But public or private, they face the same issues. The only difference being how they can get bailed out if needed. With the huge number of school choices available currently, it's hard to justify expending funds on what might be a broken model. But there are obviously lots of highly unique situations where it might be worth it whether that be private donors for privates or a government entity for public.

[lionsrking2]

Chicago State is a bloody disaster.

It is a drain on taxpayers.

Plenty of other public schools don't needlessly waste public funds.

Good public education made America great.

How exactly are they "wasting" public funds?

[OhioHen]

How exactly are they "wasting" public funds?
By being one of three redundant institutions in Chicago alone. (See post earlier in the thread about the enrollments)

[FUBeAR]

Good public education made America great.
…and now it’s (almost) an oxymoron

[lionsrking2]

By being one of three redundant institutions in Chicago alone. (See post earlier in the thread about the enrollments)

In what way are they redundant?

[KnightoftheRedFlash]

How exactly are they "wasting" public funds?

Look up Chicago State's stats.

In 2025, according to US News & World Report (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._News_%26_World_Report), Chicago State had an 11 percent graduation rate within the standard four-year period of study

[SiouxFallsRabbits]

Look up Chicago State's stats.

In 2025, according to US News & World Report (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._News_%26_World_Report), Chicago State had an 11 percent graduation rate within the standard four-year period of study
Tends to be what happens when a school lets anyone with a heartbeat in. I understand the idea that Chicago State is supposed to serve poorer communities but it fails at pretty much everything a university should be. Some people also just aren’t meant for college, I certainly met plenty of those types.

[OhioHen]

In what way are they redundant?
Three separate schools with a total enrollment of about 6100 serving basically the same cohort in a city with a population of 2.6 million (metro area around 9 million).

[aceinthehole]

https://twitter.com/NECsports/status/1889356219577426360

[ST_Lawson]

Still no word on where they might be planning on playing?

My best guess (until they build their own...if they ever do) would have to be Gately Stadium: https://cpsathletics.com/facilities/
It's pretty close to CSU's campus and looks like it'd be plenty big enough for at least the first few years (seats ~8,000): https://w-arch.com/portfolio/gately-stadium/
It's publicly owned (Chicago Public Schools), but they might have an issue with scheduling. Currently, five CPS HSs play their home games there.

[DFW HOYA]

There is still no firm commitment to a program: no staff, no signees, no facilities, and no schedule. It's not going to start in 18 months with 100 newcomers that have never practiced or played a game of football together.

An FCS team needs a minimum of five Division I opponents from which to build a schedule. How many schools are leaving an open date in 2026 "if" Chicago State is ready?

[aceinthehole]

There is still no firm commitment to a program: no staff, no signees, no facilities, and no schedule. It's not going to start in 18 months with 100 newcomers that have never practiced or played a game of football together.

An FCS team needs a minimum of five Division I opponents from which to build a schedule. How many schools are leaving an open date in 2026 "if" Chicago State is ready?

No disagreement from me, just posting "news"

I'm hoping the NEC is not contractually bound to admit them in year 1 because it could be an embarrassing situation for CSU and the NEC if they are forced to schedule games that end up 72-6, 56-0, etc.

[DFW HOYA]

I'm hoping the NEC is not contractually bound to admit them in year 1 because it could be an embarrassing situation for CSU and the NEC if they are forced to schedule games that end up 72-6, 56-0, etc.

Not to mention the cost for four trips to Chicago each season among the membership.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

St. Peter's leased their stadium in New Jersey before they dropped football in the 2000s. As I recall, they had to frequently have games on Fridays due to field commitments. There are good reasons why most schools have their own on-campus stadiums. I think counting on paying money to lease space in a stadium is a terrible idea, personally, unless it's temporary.

[DFW HOYA]

St. Peter's leased their stadium in New Jersey before they dropped football in the 2000s. As I recall, they had to frequently have games on Fridays due to field commitments. There are good reasons why most schools have their own on-campus stadiums. I think counting on paying money to lease space in a stadium is a terrible idea, personally, unless it's temporary.

With a campus of 25 acres, St. Peter's never had a facility of its own and variously played MAAC opponents like Georgetown over the years at Roosevelt Stadium (Union City), Veterans Stadium (Bayonne), Breslin Field (Lyndhurst), and Cochrane Stadium (Caven Point, Jersey City). Amazingly, it also played two games at Giants Stadium.

[KnightoftheRedFlash]

No disagreement from me, just posting "news"

I'm hoping the NEC is not contractually bound to admit them in year 1 because it could be an embarrassing situation for CSU and the NEC if they are forced to schedule games that end up 72-6, 56-0, etc.

The NEC won't care.

SFU will somehow "volunteer" to be CSU's only NEC home game in year one like we did last year with Mercyhurst.

We need new leadership badly!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The excellent Matt Brown/Extra Points published something on this today.

[Keeper]

The excellent Matt Brown/Extra Points published something on this today.

I am not buying a subscription to read one article. You should preface your post with a warning. xeyebrowx

perhaps one could preview paraphrased points of interest from the article?

BTW, 2026 could likely be a commonly done startup practice year with a short schedule of JVs and D-3s.
It would make more sense to introduce the team into NEC play in 2027. Eh?

[Baron Sardonicus]

They have opened their search for a head coach.

Apply here (https://airtable.com/app3BH2fUcEkBy9CX/shrr9B58TZAqrz3BX?prefill_Open+Position=recFeuxe2x oEL9Gpp&hide_Open+Position=true).

[DFW HOYA]

They have opened their search for a head coach.
Apply here (https://airtable.com/app3BH2fUcEkBy9CX/shrr9B58TZAqrz3BX?prefill_Open+Position=recFeuxe2x oEL9Gpp&hide_Open+Position=true).

Is there a job description anywhere on its web site? No.
Is there a salary range as mandated at a public university? No.
Is there a start date? No.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Since they're in the NEC, I'm assuming Chicago State will be eligible for the Lambert Cup?

[NY Crusader 2010]

Is there a job description anywhere on its web site? No.
Is there a salary range as mandated at a public university? No.
Is there a start date? No.

I'm hearing from inside sources that Lovie Smith is their guy.

[NY Crusader 2010]

With a campus of 25 acres, St. Peter's never had a facility of its own and variously played MAAC opponents like Georgetown over the years at Roosevelt Stadium (Union City), Veterans Stadium (Bayonne), Breslin Field (Lyndhurst), and Cochrane Stadium (Caven Point, Jersey City). Amazingly, it also played two games at Giants Stadium.

Is that the one that's on top of the roof of the high school and doubles as the baseball field? Or am I thinking of Jersey City?

I always admired that, unlike nearby NYC, the dense highly urban parts of NJ still managed to have some semblance of a Friday Night Lights HS football culture. Space obviously at a premium but they make it work.

[DFW HOYA]

Is that the one that's on top of the roof of the high school and doubles as the baseball field? Or am I thinking of Jersey City?


There were two Roosevelt Stadiums: the original by Newark Bay, razed in 1982, and the one built a few miles away at Union City HS atop a parking garage. The original hosted games for the Dodgers in 1956-57 and minor league baseball through the 1970s and I think that's where St. Peter's played in the 1970s.

https://sabr.org/sites/default/files/Roosevelt-Stadium.png

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Since they're in the NEC, I'm assuming Chicago State will be eligible for the Lambert Cup?

If I were running the Lambert Cup, and I were applying the old rules, I'd say a conditional "yes" if they played more than 50% of their games against "Eastern" schools. A NEC schedule (or a transitional schedule with 50% NEC teams) would qualify.

[NY Crusader 2010]

I think I am going to start running the Lambert Cup. Once my bonus hits, I'll start getting retroactive trophies out for the winners from 2021 to present.