Fanbase Health Index
FCS Program Prestige · Chicago State Cougars2026
Inaugural signing class
Chicago State announces 55 inaugural players on National Signing Day (February 4, 2026)
Chicago State Cougars0-0The experience
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.
The forecast
Opens Aug 29
vs Roosevelt · at home
Approaching
25 days
until kickoff · vs Roosevelt · Sat Aug 29 · 04:00 UTC
Awaiting signal — voice not yet authored.
Hope-Doping·Offseason
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.
Standard GapA brand-new program with no historical ceiling and no weight of the past…
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. Chi…
low signal
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
The Pulse on Chicago State Cougars
—
Awaiting signal — voice not yet authored.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
Kickoff
Season opener in 18 days
kickoff
"Go Chicago State"
— Chicago State Cougars fanbase · recurring line
0 mentions · awaiting signal
Fanbase Health Index
Awaiting Signal
Volume, on-field, and cohort signals pending — index activates as season data lands.
Player stats — 2026 season
No player stats logged for this program yet — stats appear once the season is underway.
Chicago State Cougars · 2026 schedule & results0-0
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 29 | #231 | #276 | — | Roosevelt | — | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 1 | Sep 5 | #231 | #154 | — | @UT Martin | — | 0-0 | 0-0 |
FCS Program Prestige · Chicago State Cougars
Mid-Major Contender
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
2026
First game
Chicago State plays its inaugural Division I football game in 2026
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