The Northeast Conference (NEC) has added a new member.
Effective July 1, 2024, Chicago State University will join the NEC as a full affiliate, the league announced Tuesday, joining Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Saint Francis (Pa.), Wagner, Central Connecticut State, Stonehill and Le Moyne.
Upon entering the NEC, the Cougars will be immediately eligible to compete for all of the league’s championships as well as its automatic bid for NCAA Championships.
Chicago State, having operated as an independent institution athletically for the last two years, is a former member of the East Coast Conference (1993-94), Mid-Continent Conference (1994-2006), Great West Conference (2009-13) and Western Athletic Conference (2013-22).
It offers 15 varsity athletic programs — seven men’s and eight women’s — including basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, track and women’s volleyball.
Per the NEC’s release, Chicago State, which currently does not field a football team, has launched a fundraising campaign with an eye on expanding its Division I sports programs.
The potential addition of football at Chicago State would add a new competitor on the gridiron for Duquesne, an associate member of the league in football.
The Dukes won an outright NEC title this past fall and have won a share of six total conference championships since joining in 2008.
The same could be said for Robert Morris, an original member of the NEC in 1996, which is also set to return next year in football after playing in the Big South-OVC in 2023.
