Chicago State Cougars
1-3FCS Independents · SeatGeek Stadium · 20,000 · 1,500 avg in 2026
LastL 20–47 at Butler · Sat Sep 19 · Chris Edmonds 88 rush yds, 1 TD, 74 rec yds
Nextvs Norfolk State · Sat Sep 26 · 7 pm ET · SeatGeek Stadium
Updated Tue Sep 22 · through week 3
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 29 | #234 | #373 | — | Roosevelt | L 28–44 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 1 | Sep 5 | #234 | #148 | +45.5✓ | @UT Martin | L 7–42 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 12 | #258 | — | — | Kentucky Christian | W 78–7 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 19 | #249 | #200 | +20.5✗ | @Butler | L 20–47 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 26 | #250 | #233 | Norfolk State | ||||
| 5 | Oct 3 | #250 | #97 | @Tarleton State | ||||
| 7 | Oct 17 | @North Carolina A&T | ||||||
| 8 | Oct 24 | @Lindenwood | ||||||
| 9 | Oct 31 | UFTL | ||||||
| 11 | Nov 14 | Virginia Lynchburg | ||||||
| 12 | Nov 21 | @Southern Utah |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19 | @Butler | L 20–47 | — | — | — | +0.075 | 33.3% | 144.1% | |
| Sep 12 | Kentucky Christian | W 78–7 | — | — | — | +0.478 | 51.5% | 147.6% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Sep 5 | @UT Martin | L 7–42 | — | — | — | -0.092 | 20.0% | 151.9% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Aug 29 | Roosevelt | L 28–44 | — | — | — | +0.073 | 47.9% | 95.3% | |
| Season average (4 games) | — | — | +0.133 | 38.2% | 134.7% | ||||
Game Week
4d 23h
until kickoff · vs Norfolk State · Sat Sep 26 · 7 pm ET
Chicago State football is the only Division I football program in the city of Chicago since 1939 — a brand-new program built from scratch in 2026 with 55 inaugural players and the mandate to prove a major city can sustain big-time college football again.
Fans here believe the chip is geographic: the Big Ten schools (Northwestern, Illinois, Notre Dame) dominate the Midwest, and Chicago has been left without representation in major college football…
The season in chapters
What it is like to watch them2026 · 1-3
✓ measured from 4 games · ranks are among FCS Independents teams the same season
Next Sep 26
vs Norfolk State · at home
Outcome band · Chicago State Cougars · 2026
Outcome band · Chicago State Cougars · 2026Chicago State Cougars' most likely season is 1-11 — mid-table finish. The floor is 0-12; the ceiling is 4-8.
No season-path projection for this program yet, so this is last season's record with a two-win swing down and a three-win swing up, over a 12-game frame.
More in this tab
Game day
Chicago State football is the only Division I football program in the city of Chicago since 1939 — a brand-new program built from scratch in 2026 with 55 inaugural players and the mandate to prove a major city can sustain big-time college football again.
Recruiting buzz
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.