Chicago State prepares to make history as Division I football returns to Chicago

Players cycled through warm-ups, worked at individual position drills and scrimmaged under the watchful eyes of coaches and gathered media Wednesday at Chicago State University.

It was a lot like any other media day for a lot of Division I football programs. Except this was Chicago State University, and it’s never had a football team before.

For senior safety Marlon Ayers Jr., the significance of the day stretched far beyond what happened between the lines.

“It was never really about football,” Ayers said.

Indeed, Wednesday’s open practice at the Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center was a milestone for both the university and the city. It also offered the first public glimpse of a program working to establish a culture built on accountability, resilience and community.

“You hear Coach Rome talk about building men that are ready for tomorrow,” Ayers said of his recruitment. “When I got on the phone, we didn’t talk about football at all. We talked about what type of person I am, what I expect to see for myself in the future and how I expect to lead myself as a man.”

That message resonated throughout the program and echoed across the coaching staff. Offensive line coach Arthur Ray Jr., a Mount Carmel High School graduate, said the significance of the program extends beyond the football field. He views it as an opportunity to establish a Division I team that truly belongs to the city.

“Chicago’s a sports city, and we’re building the next great sports platform at a Division I university right on the South Side,” Ray said. “We’re truly Chicago’s only Division I team. You ain’t got to go far, we’re right down the street from Old Fashioned Donuts, Harold’s down the street on 87th. This is real Chicago, real South Side.”

The Cougars, playing in the Football Championship Subdivision, will become the first Division I football team to call the city home since the University of Chicago last fielded a Division I team in 1939. After that season, U of C famously shut down its program and left the Big Ten; that school now competes in Division III.

Chicago State’s season starts Aug. 29 when the Cougars take the field against Roosevelt University at the home field for now, SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.

For Ray, being a part of this historic season is personal.

“It’s everything,” he said. “I’m a Roseland baby. This is special to me. I began coaching to be able to pour back into people that came from where I came from. Being from right over the bridge in Roseland, this is special.”

The Cougars’ roster is a culmination of local talent, along with transfers from across the country who bought into the team’s culture.

For Chicago natives like wide receivers Kaymen Coleman and AJ Powell, the opportunity carries extra weight.

“I want to thank Coach Rome for bringing the opportunity to my hometown,” Powell said. “It gives me a chance to play football at a collegiate level in the city I grew up in, in front of people I love — my family, my friends. Bringing the city of Chicago a D1 football team gives people something to do instead of just hanging out. We’re trying to be the next big football team.”

For Kaymen Coleman who played high school football for Von Steuben, his football journey and path back home has included injuries, junior college stops and even working security before earning his opportunity with the Cougars.

“Honestly, it’s just truly a blessing,” Coleman said. “I can’t think of a better scenario to be in — back home, back in the city, first-time program. It’s just a lot of positives to go around.”

Players from outside Chicago say they were drawn by more than the chance to play football.

Western Michigan transfer and running back Tré Hartwell said the opportunity to help establish a winning culture sold him on Chicago State.

“When I entered the transfer portal, Coach Rome said, ‘We don’t just believe in the type of player that you are, but the culture that you bring,'” Hartwell said. “We’re trying to build that culture here, and that starts with setting the standard.”

Senior linebacker Armani Itote transferred from Wagner College on Staten Island, N.Y. He viewed the Chicago State program as an opportunity to leave a lasting impact.

“For me, it was just the opportunity, making history,” Itote said. “I think it’s bigger than football. Being on the South Side of Chicago, I just want to come here and give people coming after me a chance to believe in something.”

So the program has no previous games, no established traditions and no history to lean on. And those outside the team may have low expectations as a result.

But linebacker DuJuan Harris, a junior, said those outside expectations will help fire up the team.

“We got a lot of expectations. We’re not trying to come out here and lose,” Harris said. “A lot of people have already written us off. We see all the comments, and we’re just using that for motivation.”