On September 22, 2021, Northwestern announced that the Ryan family had donated $480 million to the university, providing initial funding for replacing Ryan Field with a new stadium at the current site.[2][3] A year later, Northwestern announced initial design concepts for the new stadium, and that the Ryan family had committed to adding additional funding upon their initial stadium gift.[4]
Northwestern touted the new venue as offering a "year-round community asset" for both the university and the city of Evanston that in addition to football games would be the site of youth sports events, holiday festivals, student activities, and concerts. The university claimed it would bring a $1.3 billion economic impact to the Chicago area, including $659 million economic impact to Evanston.[5]
The preliminary cost was announced at $850 million, making it the most expensive college football stadium in the country. Led by the architecture firms HNTB and Perkins&Will, the stadium will have a capacity of 35,000, a reduction of 12,000 from the previous facility and the smallest football stadium in the Big Ten Conference. The final budget was modestly increased to $862 million after the addition of a club area dedicated to younger Northwestern alumni.[6]
Design
The replacement stadium is projected to open in 2026, at a preliminary cost of $850 million, making it the most expensive college football stadium in the country. Early design work was led by the architecture firm the Rockwell Group. The stadium will have a capacity of 35,000, a reduction of 12,000 from the previous facility and the smallest football stadium in the Big Ten Conference.
The new stadium is projected to be 78 percent larger than its predecessor to accommodate club and plaza areas for entertainment and dining spaces. The stadium will have a canopy for spectator weather protection and for sound retention as a competitive advantage. As was not required at the time of the original 1926 opening, the stadium will also contain required ADA-compliant seats.[7][8] The design features 194% the amount of ADA seating that it would be legally required to.[5] According to the Front Office Sports website, "The venue’s defining characteristic is intimacy." The new stadium's premium seating area starts 90 feet (27m) from the field, and the most distant seats in the stadium are 135 feet (41m) away. By contrast, the highest-priced seats at the largest college football venue, Michigan Stadium, are 235 feet (72m) from the field, and the most distant seats are 253 feet (77m) from the sideline. [6]
The venue will be smallest home football stadium of any team in either the Big Ten Conference or Southeastern Conference. The lower capacity is allows for seating to be closer to the field, and eliminates nosebleed seats (which generate the least revenue of any seats). The lower capacity is also reflective of a market in which college football attendance has declined, and a greater share of revenue is being generated by premium seating and hospitality options. 10% of the stadium's seats will be in premium sections, and these are anticipated to produce around 40–50% of revenue for football games.[9] Among the premium options would be four club areas that will also be utilized year-round as event spaces.[5]
The stadium will also feature 200,000 square feet (19,000m2) of plaza and open spaces around the stadium that will become part of the ticketed area during games, providing more spaces for fans to congregate once at the venue than the previous stadium had offered.[9]
The stadium bowl will feature a canopy that covers all seats, while leaving the playing surface open-air. The canopy will protect spectators during poor weather. Northwestern has touted an expectation that this will also boost the din of crowd noise during games, providing their football team with an enhanced home team advantage.[5]
Permitting and approval process
Northwestern's plan to use the new stadium as a commercial concert venue had been met with opposition from stadium neighbors and other Evanston residents.[10] Issues included Northwestern's alleged failure to address issues of noise, parking, traffic congestion, and public safety.[11] Additionally, some have questioned the stadium's continuing to have a property tax exemption while being used for commercial purposes.
In November 2023, the Evanston City Council approved zoning changes to allow concerts to be held at the new stadium.[12] After receiving approval, the university quickly proceeded to begin demolition on the existing stadium so as to avoid allowing time for any further legal challenges to be mounted that could have delayed the project.[13]
On January 20, 2024, it was announced that a demolition process, without explosives, would begin on January 29. The process was expected to take 4 to 6 months, after confirmation that a new, $850 million stadium would replace the current, aging one.[14] The new stadium is currently under construction.[15] Northwestern's football team is temporarily playing at Martin Field.
Construction
The original Ryan Field undergoing demolition in April 2024
On January 20, 2024, it was announced that a demolition process, without explosives, would begin on January 29. The process is expected to take 4 to 6 months, after confirmation that a new, $850 million stadium would replace the current, aging one.[16] The new stadium is currently under construction.[17]
During the two football seasons during which construction on the new stadium is occuring, Northwestern football is playing the majority of their home games at Martin Stadium, a lakefront athletic facility on the university's primary Evanston campus. To accommodate this, temporary grandstands have been added to the venue.[13]
The stadium was originally expected to host its first football game on September 12, 2026, when Northwestern is scheduled to face the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.[5] However, it was announced in January 2026 that Northwestern will play its first two home games of 2026 at Martin Stadium and will debut at New Ryan Field on October 2, 2026, against the Penn State Nittany Lions.[19]
Other planned uses
Northwestern's plan to use the new stadium as a commercial concert venue had been met with opposition from stadium neighbors and other Evanston residents.[20] Issues included Northwestern's alleged failure to address issues of noise, parking, traffic congestion, and public safety.[21] Additionally, some have questioned the stadium's continuing to have a property tax exemption while being used for commercial purposes. However, the new stadium was approved for six concerts during summer 2027. Northwestern will also use the new stadium as its women's lacrosse home, and the local Evanston Township High School will play its home football games there. Pat Ryan Jr., son of the new stadium's namesake, called the high school a "second anchor tenant".[6]
References
↑"Ryan Field". Ballparks.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
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