Chicago State University aiming to be bigger player in NCAA
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Someone's excited. Photo by Sasha Martin
After two years without a conference home, the Chicago State University Cougars are joining the Northeast Conference (NEC) next year.
Why it matters: Money. Recruiting. And a profile boost. Being in a conference unlocks NCAA funding for the predominantly Black university in Roseland and sets it up to net more high-caliber athletes.
Zoom in: Conference membership automatically gives student athletes a shot at the NCAA championship.
- "When you're not in a conference, you don't even have the opportunity to get excited about, 'Hey, this is our championship year,' and that's what every athlete wants to do," CSU athletic director Monique Carroll tells Axios.
🧠Be smart: Most NEC schools — Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Le Moyne, Long Island University, Saint Francis University, Stonehill College and Wagner College — are clustered in the mid-Atlantic.
The big picture: CSU's decision comes a few months after the school's trustees approved a fundraising campaign seeking $4 million to expand athletics.
- A top target: Adding a Division 1 football team, and making CSU home to the only D-1 gridiron in Chicago.
By the numbers: The school has about 165 student athletes across 15 teams, including men's and women's basketball, tennis, cross country, track and field, field, soccer, and golf, as well as women's volleyball.
Swish: Fans are flying high this week after the men's basketball team stunned No. 25 Northwestern on Wednesday in a 75-73 upset.
- "This is probably one of the biggest wins in the state of Illinois history," Cougars coach Gerald Gillion said after the game. "This was huge. Huge for our guys."
💠What they're saying: "We have an opportunity to win the conference and qualify for the NCAA Tournament, and hey, go dance," Carroll tells Axios. "Just that excitement to start every year you can't duplicate or imitate that when you're not in a conference."