Chicago State Cougars


The Chicago State Cougars are the varsity athletic teams representing Chicago State University of Chicago, Illinois in intercollegiate athletics. The university currently sponsors fifteen varsity teams. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Western Athletic Conference, joining that conference on July 1, 2013.

History

Melvin Bland was the first CSU student athlete to gain NAIA All-American status in 1974 as a wrestler. Tyrone Everhart also was a NAIA Honorable Mention All-American wrestler the same year. Fred Evans as a sophomore became the first black swimmer ever to win a national championship in 1975. The Chicago State University Ice Hockey Team produced 2 NCAA Division 2 All-Americans in the 1975–76 season. George Hansen and Bob Janecyk were selected in 1975–76 to the NCAA West All-American Team. Janecyk was selected two more times designated as an NCAA West All-American Team goaltender for CSU in 1976–77 and 1977–78. He went on to play for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. The first NAIA District #20 Championship Team in any sport was the 1975 wrestling team, which captured the NAIA District #20 Championship coached by Dr. James G. Pappas. The Cougar Wrestling Team also won District #20 titles in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980.
In 1984, the CSU Men's Basketball Team captured third place at the NAIA National Championships. The team's performance throughout the tournament was as follows:
Chicago State 79, Franklin Pierce 62
Chicago State 105, Kearney State 104 2OT
Chicago State 68, Chaminade 66
Fort Hays State 86, Chicago State 84 OT
Chicago State 86, Westmont 82 OT

Sports sponsored

Chicago State is a member of the Western Athletic Conference. With the school's current financial situation and the needs of the athletic program, in April 2016, the University Budget Committee recommended that the Athletic Department "... study the benefits of being Division 1 or another division." Chicago State University currently sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports.

All-Americans