CHICAGO – Roosevelt announced its 2026 football schedule Thursday, highlighted by a Week 0 matchup at Chicago State on August 29.

The game will pit Chicago's only NCAA Division II football program against the city's only Division I team. The contest will be the inaugural game for the Cougars, who announced in December their plans to kick off the school's first season of football for the 2026 season. This will mark Roosevelt's second game against an FCS school after dropping a tight 31-23 game at Valparaiso in 2024.

"Kicking off the 2026 season against Chicago State in their inaugural football game is a special moment for college football in Chicago," Roosevelt head coach Billy McKeon said. "We have a great deal of respect for what it takes to start a program from the ground up, and we're proud that Roosevelt can be a part of that. It will be a great opportunity to highlight the city of Chicago, the student-athletes, and the direction both programs are heading."

Last season, the Lakers went 2-8 in McKeon's first year at the helm with both wins coming at Morris Field. Roosevelt will have five home games in Arlington Heights this year with the home opener set for Sept. 19 against Wisconsin Oshkosh. The Lakers will also open conference play at home on Oct. 3 against Michigan Tech.

Following the game against Chicago State, the Lakers are on the road the next two weeks. The begin by traveling to Quincy on Sept. 5 for a rematch of last year's thrilling opener at Morris Field before heading to Southwest Baptist seeking some revenge from a home loss during the 2025 season.

Roosevelt will face the gauntlet of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after an off week at the end of September. In addition to hosting Michigan Tech, the Lakers welcome Davenport (Oct. 17), Grand Valley State (Oct. 31) and Saginaw Valley State (Nov. 7) to Morris Field. The road contests for Roosevelt are trips to Wayne State on Oct. 10, Northern Michigan on Oct. 24 and Ferris State to close out the regular season on Nov. 14.