Intercollegiate Football at the
University of Illinois at Chicago

In the spring of 1949 Athletic Director J. O. Jones summoned Physical Education instructor Howard “Howie” Schutz to his office and offered him the chance to develop a football team for the two year University of Illinois campus at Navy Pier. Schutz agreed and fellow instructors, Walter Versen and Benedict “Benny” Montcalm, were selected as assistant coaches. The guidelines for this new program greatly shaped the future of the team: no recruiting of players, only students enrolled on the first day of classes would be eligible for play, no athletic scholarships, practice sessions started the first day of classes (near beginning of October), no games scheduled before October 1st each year, no summer or spring practice sessions, and professors provided eligibility reports on players every two weeks.

The first football team at the Navy Pier Campus - 1950

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