Chicago House AC

On September 10, 2020, the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) announced that an investor group, led by league founder Peter Wilt, had applied for a club to play in the Chicago market.[4] Wilt had previously attempted to start a new Chicago team in 2016 with the North American Soccer League (NASL) and more recently in 2018, following his departure from NISA, successfully started the Madison, Wisconsin based Forward Madison FC in USL League One.[5][6] Other investors included Bruce Merivale-Austin.[7]

On November 5, NISA officially announced the team had been accepted with an aim to begin play in Fall 2021.[8] In the following months, the team asked fans to submit potential team names that related to the history and culture of Chicago. The team selected 68 finalists and held a fan advisory poll bracket, dubbed "Moniker Madness", to determine the most popular option.[9] The winner of the poll, "Chicago House" was unveiled as the official name on February 23, 2021, alongside the team crest and colors.[10][11]

On January 27, 2021, the team confirmed that it would play home matches at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.[12] On February 2, former Chicago Fire FC player and all-time appearance leader C. J. Brown was announced as the team's first technical director and head coach.[13]

On May 1, 2021, the team announced that Lindsey Morgan Sacks would become the new primary team owner, taking control of the club from Bruce Merivale-Austin.[14]

On July 9, 2021, the team played their official first match in club history, losing 2–0 to amateur side FC Milwaukee Torrent in the 2021 NISA Independent Cup.

Two weeks later, the House defeated Union Dubuque FC by a score of 5–0 to end the Independent Cup campaign with a first win in club history.

The club finished 6th in its inaugural season, posting a 7-2-9 record. Wojciech Wojcik was the team's top scorer, notching eight goals.

In March 2022, it was announced via social media that the club would join the Midwest Premier League for the upcoming season.[15] CEO Wilt also expressed intent to return to NISA in 2023.

The House announced its initial Midwest Premier League schedule via social media and also announced it would play its home matches at Stuart Field, on the campus of Illinois Institute of Technology.[16]

The House finished 4th in the MWPL in 2022 with a 5–5–1 record. At the end of the season, the club announced its intention to compete in local qualifiers for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. After receiving a bye in the first round, CHAC defeated 1927 SC on penalties after a 1–1 draw, Metro Louisville FC 2–1, and Brockton FC United in another penalty shootout to advance to the competition proper. Chicago House then defeated National Amateur Cup champions Bavarian United SC 1–0 to record its first-ever cup win and move on to the second round and face Forward Madison FC of USL League 1. After trailing 2–0 at halftime, Chicago scored two goals to force extra time and a third to win 3–2 and advance to the third round. They faced Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire FC at the House's former home SeatGeek Stadium on April 26, where their cup run ended with a 3-0 loss.[17]

The club announced its 2023 MWPL schedule via social media and that it would play its home matches at DePaul College Prep on its new stadium in Roscoe Village on the North Side near Lane Tech.[18]

The club's name, Chicago House Athletic Club, was announced on February 21, 2021, and refers to the Chicago house style of music. It was one of 400 entries submitted for a public contest; the 68 finalist names were picked through public votes in a bracket tournament.[19] The club's logo uses civic symbols of Chicago as well as the city skyline and depicts the Chicago River. The team's colors are "Patina Green", black, and "deep rust" (a shade of orange).[20]

As of April 2023[21]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  USA Jack Kramer 4 FW  ARG Alejandro Mentasti 5 DF  USA John Makowiecki 6 FW  USA Jasper Waddington 7 FW  ENG Adam Mann 8 MF  BAH Shannon Seymour 10 FW  USA Ricardo Avalos 11 FW  USA Georgi Spasov 13 DF  ENG Oskar Duenkel 14 MF  USA AR Smith

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 MF  ENG Nassouh Kabbani 18 GK  USA Tony Halterman 20 MF  USA Aaron Nguyen 22 MF  COL Jhon Alzate 23 MF  USA Nico Williams 25 MF  MEX Rodrigo Gudiño 33 GK  USA Billy Castro 94 MF  USA Damon Almazan 99 MF  FRA Florian Ouaddour

• Official website