Eric Boggs 
Northwestern1
By Eric Boggs from The OHIO Podcast
College football season is still months away, but Northwestern officials released more details last week about where the Wildcats will play football for the next couple of years. University officials and Wildcat football players alike are excited that the Wildcats be staying on campus for home football games for the majority of the season. Last week, Northwestern athletics officials outlined the temporary plans for Wildcat football while the new Ryan Field is being built.
The university announced that the Wildcats will play for the next two seasons at the Lanny & Sharon Martin Athletics Facility located on campus by the lake and at Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs play. Northwestern’s football team will play two games at Wrigley Field this season after playing its first five home games at the temporary on-campus stadium. Northwestern will play Ohio State on November 16 and the University of Illinois on November 30 at Wrigley Field, which was available for college games but not until November, after the MLB playoffs end.
This arrangement creates a unique opportunity for the university to establish a memorable atmosphere and environment on campus and at a major city landmark. However, it was important to the University to provide home games on campus, not only for the students, but for the local Evanston, Illinois economy.
Local businesses like Mustard’s Last Stand, who has been serving hot dogs to Northwestern fans for more than fifty years, is dependent upon the support of Wildcat fans during home football games.. With the team still playing nearby, they hope the tradition will continue.
As for the games being played at the Martin Athletics Facility, temporary structures will be built on-site. Fan capacity will still be much less than what Ryan Field could hold, which was one of the smaller venues in the Big Ten to begin with with a seating capacity of just over 47,000. Nonetheless, players and fans alike are excited to play at least five games this season on campus at the Martin Athletics Facility, which overlooks Lake Michigan.
Demolition of Ryan Field continues, with the all-privately funded new stadium expected to be finished in 2026. Northwestern started demolishing Ryan Field about three months ago and plans to open a new stadium in 2026 on the same site. Northwestern’s temporary football venue will hold approximately 15,000 spectators on the grounds typically used for the university’s home lacrosse and soccer matches, compared to the 47,130 Ryan Field could accommodate.
About The Author
