The Wildcats Classic, where the Northwestern Wildcats will host the Iowa Hawkeyes, is only a few days away. So with that in mind, we flash back to 2021, and re-publish this post on the Friendly Confines layout for college football.
Overall, it looks absolutely beautiful, just transcendent! However, as we covered during our preview podcast, you still have come cramped corners of the end zones, as space remains tight.
Overall, it looks really beautiful! Very excited about tomorrow. #BoilerUp #b1gcats pic.twitter.com/8XWF2LUpgv
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) November 19, 2021
Wildcats Classic FYIs
Northwestern vs Iowa Hawkeyes, 2:30 PM, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Football at Wrigley Field Podcast Game preview and prediction (coming soon) Photo preview of field layout
Streaming: Peacock (Paul Burmeister, Kyle Rudolph, Zora Stephenson)
Radio: WGN 720 (Dave Eanet, Ted Albrecht)
Odds: Iowa -5.5, O/U 31, ESPN Predictor App: Iowa 78%-22%
No, it’s not as bad as the infamous 2010 debacle with the Illini, where both teams had to drive towards the same end zone, but it still doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.
This bowl season will see four college football games played in baseball stadiums, and one has to wonder if this novelty trend is here to stay or not.
“It’s cool to bring it to Friendly Confines, I don’t think it’s going to be too friendly tomorrow, but it’s still 52 1/2 by 100 (yards, width by length),” said then Northwestern team captain and nose tackle Joe Spivak.
Way way way safer, and more space than last time, especially on the south corner of the east end zone. But the north corner… probably shouldn't do any fade routes!! @JustTMill pic.twitter.com/dJOCxQ0xZq
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) November 19, 2021
“It’s still gonna be violent, and it’s gonna be fun.”
1060 W. Addison has undergone a major facelift since the 2010 game, once that actually attracted ESPN College Gameday. The BTN’s version of that show originated from centerfield for the 2021 game, in the shadow of the scoreboard.
They are doing the out of town #B1G scoreboard, and BTN pregame will be here tomorrow @JustTMill @HammerAndRails #B1gcats #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/3HGRFSuKNc
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) November 19, 2021
Northwestern stayed in a hotel downtown the night before the 2021 loss to Purdue, instead of in their usual Evanston hotel for home games. In 2010, there was a plan for the team to come down together on the L (the local mass transit train) from Evanston, but that plan was understandably and rightfully scrapped.
We were laughing about that earlier this week, we were talking about in one of our leadership meetings,” Spivak said during our exclusive two years ago.
“We’re like it’s pretty gritty but I don’t think we should do it; it was a pretty far fetched idea.”
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Enjoy these photos! Scroll through each social media posting for more. We will back with much more preview material and Iowa Hawkeyes content as the game nears.
Kickoff forecast is 57 and sunny- a perfect fall afternoon!
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.