Evanston’s New Game Day Hotspot: Northwestern’s Temporary Stadium Takes Center Stage
While Ryan Field is being rebuilt, Northwestern will construct a makeshift stadium on campus in Evanston, Illinois, where it will host the majority of its football games in 2024 and 2025, the university said on Tuesday.
In order to host some games in 2024, the university will keep talking to other venues in the Chicago region. Later this spring, those game venues will be announced. “Capacity for the temporary facility will be much less than either the existing Ryan Field or the new Ryan Field that is under development,” the school stated in a statement.
While the new stadium will hold about 35,000 people, the former Ryan Field had a capacity of 47,130. The temporary structure is still in the design stages.
“I am thrilled that we could make this happen. It’s truly a win for our community,” Northwestern President Michael Schill said. “In addition to creating a wonderful fan experience in the lead-up to the opening of Ryan Field, hosting games on campus will reduce the travel burdens for our student-athletes and fans and will make games much more accessible. We also are pleased to keep the economic benefits of football gamedays in Evanston.”
— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) April 10, 2024
What does this signify?
It is going to be hard for Northwestern and the Big Ten. The four Big Ten teams that the Wildcats will host at home are all reachable by car from Chicago. The two heavyweights are Ohio State (Nov. 16) and Wisconsin (Oct. 19), and the supporters of those teams frequently swarm Ryan Field. Likewise, Northwestern is set to host games against close rivals Illinois on November 30 and Indiana on October 5.
While it might make a decent backdrop for nonconference games against Eastern Illinois and Duke, it will not have nearly the capacity to meet demand in games against Ohio State, Wisconsin, and possibly Illinois and Indiana. There is a chance Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, or Guaranteed Rate Field will become available in mid-October and throughout November. Playing at a temporary venue with a capacity “considerably less” than the Big Ten’s smallest stadium will create some logistical issues for television and the Big Ten’s other schools.
Furthermore, each game’s gate receipts from the Big Ten schools are pooled and distributed equally, with a $1 million limit and a $300,000 floor. It is probable that Northwestern will only pay the $300,000 floor each time it performs on campus.
(Photo of Ryan Field: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)