Monday saw the Northwestern football program unveil more artist renderings of their new stadium, the new Ryan Field, which is slated to open in 2026. In the new venue, capacity will be 35,000 which is a decrease from the old building which held 47,000. But obviously this new home field will have a lot more bang for the buck. Wildcats fans, as well as fans of other Big Ten teams (who consistently show up in much greater numbers than NU supporters, no matter what the venue- social media had a field day with this concept during Saturday’s “Homecoming” loss to Ohio State at Wrigley Field) will get to enjoy a massively more modern and greatly upgraded experience in the new building.
A press release from the school today called included the phrase “Chicago’s Big Ten Stadium.”
Yes, that designation will be an accurate one. You can bet on it. The new Northwestern football home stadium, projected to cost around $850 million to complete, will indeed be Chicago’s Big Ten Stadium. Obviously, this phrase that pays is very different from the other slogan you might associate with the Northwestern football program: “Chicago’s Big Ten Team.”
Considering that the school long ago sacked the man who created that mantra, Mike Polisky, they’ll probably retire that slogan soon.
A Bold New Vision for College Football.
Coming Soon: New Ryan Field ??? pic.twitter.com/Fciw6FO4xN
— Northwestern Athletics (@NU_Sports) November 18, 2024
“This project marks a new era for Northwestern and the Big Ten,” reads a statement attributed to the new A.D. Mark Jackson.
“With the new Ryan Field, we’re embracing a visionary opportunity for Northwestern that will support our student-athletes with the best stadium in college sports. Our new stadium will provide a dynamic, fan-focused environment that reflects Chicago’s prominence in the Big Ten Conference and elevates the standards for college football stadiums nationwide. This venue will be more than a game-day destination; it’s an inclusive, year-round gathering place that enhances our community and our university’s connection to the world of sports.”
? Northwestern’s new Ryan Field opens in 2026. Capacity 35,000 & will be only college football stadium w/adjacent ice skating rink. The $850 million sports & entertainment venue will be utilized year-round w/more than 200,000 square feet of parks & plazas surrounding the stadium pic.twitter.com/2LolB8Jzde
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 18, 2024
Now, more of the reason you clicked here- artist renderings of the new Northwestern football stadium. Look at the bar/club rendering! Wow! Is that Palm Court for high tea at The Drake?!
Northwestern today released details for the new Ryan Field, an $850 million project that is the largest in CFB history, and could launch a new type of CFB stadium design, focused on enhancing fan experiences and incorporating elements from recent NFL stadium builds. pic.twitter.com/U8v8XuBc8x
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 18, 2024
Also, check out the exterior plaza, from renderings that already came out in June. It appears that human cloning has indeed been achieved.
The selfying couple, in the grassy knoll where the West Lot currently stands, has been cloned!
see top right and bottom left: https://t.co/I88cgblKmj pic.twitter.com/JZTL0ZT660
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) June 24, 2024
Northwestern has broken ground on the new Ryan Field, a project that is expected to produce nearly $660M in economic impact to Evanston and surrounding areas.
Additionally, the new stadium will be one of the most accessible stadiums in college football and achieve LEED… pic.twitter.com/biET2w6NM6
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) June 24, 2024
Happy Monday Northwestern football fans.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.