February 2025
Collegiate Consulting Football Feasibility Study Supports Chicago State in Coaching Search
The recent announcement Chicago State would launch the search for its head football coach and start its inaugural season in 2026 was supported by the Football Feasibility Study completed by Collegiate Consulting.
The initial study was completed in January 2022 and updated in April 2023. Collegiate Consulting provided a comprehensive comparison to the MEAC, NEC, OVC and Southland Conferences football programs. The 116-page report included an analysis for multiple women’s programs, including beach volleyball, bowling, field hockey, lacrosse, swimming & diving, and softball.
The report projected seven new administrative positions across all departments to support the new programs and 12 new full-time coaches (Head & Assistants) and three part-time/GA coaches for the three programs. Collegiate Consulting recommended football play its home games at 4,000-seat Gately Stadium due to proximity to campus and projected rental expenses.
Collegiate Consulting has completed six football feasibility studies in the past 18 months across Division I, II, III and NAIA and past studies have helped West Florida, Stetson and Georgia State successfully launch their respective programs
Quick Bytes
- NCAA to consider rule change to discourage fake injuries
- Michigan congressman urges closer look at how federal dollars are going toward subsidizing NCAA DI & DII
- MAGA Republicanism shows increasingly conservative bent on post-NIL future of college sports
- NFL exploring options to create professional flag football leagues; Committee on Women’s Athletics make recommendation for DI, II & III to sponsor legislation to add flag football
- Former Stonehill College in antitrust case baseball player fails in challenging NCAA
- Paramount edges out YouTubeTV for sports broadcasts
- College coaches stumping for major changes to offseason model
- Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announces it has rescinded NIL Title IX guidance issued in the final days of the Biden administration
- Sonoma State to discontinue athletics & cut 24 academic programs
- Statehouses creating a completely new conference examined
- Is College Football Playoff’s expanding footprint impacting men’s basketball?
- Transgender policy changed in wake of Trump executive order; groups asked to restore female athletes’ records, titles sports
- Several sports slashed from Talladega College’s athletics lineup
What's the Word?
Players look to their captains, teams seek guidance from their coaches, athletic department staffs learn the tone of culture set from athletic directors: Leadership trickles down.
Setting goals and actually achieving them comes with many obstacles for new ADs and executives. What some schools see as dynamic direction, others could take as drastic shifts. Recruiting and thorough vetting can sort and segment candidates based on personality, managerial style, and potential plans for the future.
The right fit is hard to find, but when it works – it can elevate not only an athletic department, but the entire institution and community.
Athletic Departments Seek Aid in Hiring ADs
Athletic departments adjust and adapt to change, but sometimes it requires a new leader. A vision sometimes has to be supported, verified and even justified to the board of trustees, alumni and the campus community.
Collegiate Consulting specializes in comprehensive Executive Searches and has the tools to provide an in-depth approach to making a thoughtful and beneficial hiring decision.
As we continue to partner with institutions of varying size and conference competition level, we are excited to explore opportunities for each new and existing clients. There are several moving pieces to research that give our university partners an expanded perspective for potential excellence.
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