Chicago State Men's Soccer Announces 2021 Schedule

CHICAGO — Chicago State head men's soccer coach Trevor Banks has announced his team's schedule for the 2021 season.

"It's the first 'real' season of Division I men's soccer here at Chicago State University, and I get the pleasure of leading the group that is coming in, which is exciting," Banks said. "We actually get to play matches in front of fans, in a MLS caliber stadium with all the Chicago elements, something the group, my staff and myself are all looking forward to."

The schedule (below) features 10 home games, which will be played at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, former home stadium of the MLS' Chicago Fire.

To open the program's second season of play in three decades, the Cougars will take on in-state rival Northwestern on Thursday, August 26 at 7:00 p.m., which will serve as Chicago Youth Soccer night and Faculty/Staff Appreciation night. Tickets are available here and are $5 for adults (18 and under free).

"We want to invite the community out to Chicago Youth Soccer Night," Banks said. "It's our biggest night of the year, because we have the opportunity to open our first full regular season with another Chicagoland team. Northwestern is going to be a tough opponent, but we're excited to showcase ourselves in front of the Chicagoland community."

The Cougars' Western Athletic Conference slate then begins on Saturday, September 25 with a home match against UTRGV. 

October 24 will serve as senior night, featuring a Blackout (tickets available here for $10).

Season tickets are available for $25 for adults and are free for anyone 18 and under.

Banks is entering his second season as the program's first head coach since the late 1980s. His team played in three games, facing Xavier, Northern Illinois and South Suburban College.

"AD Charles has worked hard to make sure we have everything we need to get this start up right and my staff and I are moving full steam ahead," Banks said. "There were a lot of ups and downs with getting this whole thing together, but we could always see that little light at the end of the tunnel and that light is shining bright right now.

"The schedule is tough, but I personally want it this way. When making the schedule, at the time, I believed we needed to challenge ourselves prior to going into Western Athletic Conference play, and I think we accomplished just that. We have multiple NCAA tournament teams, as well as both of the teams we saw in the spring on our schedule. For us it's setting a goal for the season. It's using one match at a time as a measurable. Each week, we will complete a measurable, and by the time we get to the end of the season, we will have reached our goal. I'm excited, and I know my staff is excited and the group is excited. We are ready to get rolling."

About Chicago State

Chicago State University Athletics is comprised of 15 intercollegiate teams involving over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. CSU held memberships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II before transitioning to NCAA Division I in 1994. Melvin Bland was the first CSU student-athlete to gain NAIA All-American status in 1974 as a wrestler. Fred Evans became the first black swimmer ever to win a national championship in 1975. CSU's women's basketball team earned a spot in the 2011 Women's Basketball Invitational and CSU's men's basketball team won the 2013 Great West Conference Tournament title and made an appearance in the CollegeInside.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).  The Men's Outdoor Track & Field 4x100-Meter Relay team were 2019 Honorable Mention All-Americans and WAC Champions. Their feat marked the first time the Chicago State's men's track & field program was represented at the national meet. 

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