Northwestern will build a temporary on-campus stadium in Evanston, Illinois, where it will play the majority of its 2024 and 2025 football games while Ryan Field is rebuilt, the school announced Tuesday.
The university will continue discussions with other Chicago-area stadiums to host games in 2024. Those playing venues will arrive later this spring. In a statement, the school said, “The capacity of the temporary facility will be significantly lower than that of the old Ryan Field or the new Ryan Field under construction. »
The capacity of the old Ryan Field was 47,130 while the new stadium will accommodate approximately 35,000 seats. Designs for the temporary structure are underway.
“I’m delighted that we can achieve this. This is truly a victory for our community,” said Northwestern President Michael Schill. “In addition to creating a wonderful fan experience as Ryan Field approaches, hosting games on campus will reduce the travel burden on our student-athletes and fans and make games more enjoyable more accessible. We are also happy to retain the economic benefits of football days in Evanston.
– Northwest Football (@NUFBFamily) April 10, 2024
What does that mean?
This is going to be a challenge for the Big Ten and Northwestern. The Wildcats play four Big Ten opponents at home and all are within driving distance of Chicagoland. Ohio State (Nov. 16) and Wisconsin (October 19) are the two heavyweights, and fans of those teams routinely take over Ryan Field. Likewise, close rivals Illinois (Nov. 30) and Indiana (October 5) are scheduled to play at Northwestern.
Playing in a temporary venue with “significantly lower” capacity than the Big Ten’s smallest stadium will create logistical problems for TV and other Big Ten schools. While that could provide a decent backdrop for non-conference games against Eastern Illinois and Duke, it won’t have the capacity to meet demand in games against Ohio State, Wisconsin and perhaps Illinois and Indiana. Soldier Field, Wrigley Field or Guarantee Rate Field may be available in mid-October and throughout November.
Additionally, Big Ten schools pool revenue from each game and split it evenly with a cap of $1 million and a floor of $300,000. Northwestern will likely only pay the floor of $300,000 each time it plays on campus.
(Ryan Field Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)