The University of Illinois announced on February 9 that Downstate Illinois' Big Ten team will move its next three-- three!-- home games with Northwestern to Soldier Field. Illinois and the 'Cats will meet on the lakefront this fall and in 2017 and 2019. Many sports columnists and 'Cat fans immediately argued that NU stands to benefit the most from this arrangement, and I agree. The move will benefit both teams, but NU should come out with more upside.

Just a few years ago, Illinois' athletic director, when discussing Northwestern's 2010 home game shift to Wrigley Field, stated that the Illini would not follow suit and would not sacrifice any of its games in Champaign. That, however, was before the program began its perplexing behavior of following NU at anything it does and to target the 'Cats as its aspirational competitor. NU is Chicago's Big Ten Team? Then we'll be the state's school! (but really we're also just targeting Chicago). Once NU moved its home game with Illinois to Wrigley, it wasn't long before Illinois began hosting other teams occasionally at Soldier Field, in order to tie in with area alumni and keep NU from gaining media and recruiting shares in the region.

And this new move will likely help Illinois do just that. It will probably boost Illlinois coverage by Chicago media. However, I doubt that the Illini will get the national coverage that they would like. While Illini's program seems on better footing than NU's right now, both don't seem likely they'll be strong enough next season to grab the attention of anyone outside the confines of the conference.

For NU, the benefits are likely greater. Illinois' move seems defensive, which makes NU appear to have the upper hand, or at least a threatening one, in the recruiting and media chess game. It also means that the 'Cats don't have to travel to Champaign for the rest of the decade, keeping the team in the area for its season-finale rivalry game and-- as Coach Fitzgerald pointed out-- keeping them in the area for the Thanksgiving weekend.

---

Historical Perspective

This fall will mark the first time that NU has played at Soldier Field since 1997, but that was technically a home game for the 'Cats. The last time NU has entered Soldier Field as a true visitor was back in 1931. Here is a list of every time Northwestern has played at Soldier Field, and the team's status: home team, visiting team, or neutral.

• November 22, 1924: 13-6 loss to Notre Dame. NU was the home team, having moved the game from Northwestern Field to accommodate the expected crowd.
• November 7, 1925: 3-2 win vs. Michigan. NU was again the home team. Northwestern Field had already been abandoned (making way for Dyche Stadium's construction the following spring) when NU hosted Michigan in Chicago.
• October 10, 1931: 0-0 tie vs. Notre Dame. Until this year, the 1931 Notre Dame game was the only time that NU came to Soldier Field as the visitor. The Irish moved their home game vs. NU to Soldier Field in order to boost attendance and provide funds for charity relief.
• November 28, 1931: 7-0 loss to Purdue. The only game NU has ever played at Soldier Field for which the field was truly considered neutral. The game was a postseason addition, also for depression charity relief.
• October 7 and 14, 1933: a loss to Iowa (7-0) and a tie vs. Stanford (0-0), both hosted by NU, and both moved by NU from Dyche Stadium to Soldier Field as part of the World's Fair celebrations.
• September 5, 1992 and September 3, 1994: losses to Notre Dame (42-7 and 42-15) during which NU was the home team. The 'Cats moved their home games with the Irish to Soldier Field at Notre Dame's request.
• August 23, 1997: 24-0 win vs. Oklahoma. A game that most assume was a neutral field. However, there were two preseason classics played by Division I during the 1990s: the Kickoff Classic was typically played on a neutral field. The Pigskin Classic, however, including NU's victory over Oklahoma, was played typically on the home field of one of the teams. NU agreed to host the game at Soldier Field when it negotiated the team's participation.