Attendance
Records
Page Posted
1/15/10;
Updated
9/10/24

 



NU Attendance Records
and Sold Out Games
 

All-Time On-Campus Home Attendance Records
Here are the 15 largest crowds for NU football games at Dyche Stadium
1.   55,752 -- 1962 vs. Notre Dame (on campus home record)
2.   55,682 -- 1960 vs. Notre Dame
3.   55,356 -- 1966 vs. Notre Dame
 4.   55,282 -- 1959 vs. Wisconsin
5.   55,155 -- 1972 vs. Notre Dame
6.   54,821 -- 1949 vs. Michigan
7.   54,342 -- 1962 vs. Michigan State
 8.   54,301 -- 1974 vs. Notre Dame
9.   52,333 -- 1983 vs. Illinois (last game ever at Dyche Stadium with over 50,000)
10.   52,062 -- 1964 vs. Illinois
11.   52,000 -- 1951 vs. Illinois
12.   51,782 -- 1960 vs. Illinois
 13.   51,102 -- 1958 vs. Ohio State
14.   51,039 -- 1953 vs. Illinois
15.   51,028 -- 1964 vs. Wisconsin

The Chicago Bears played the Philadelphia Eagles at Dyche Stadium on September 27, 1970. Attendance was 53,463, which would put the game #9 on the list of Dyche Stadium football crowds.
 
 
Capacity Home Games Since 1905 (Beginning of Central St. Era)
I. Northwestern Field
Year Opponent
 Attend. Notes
1905 Chicago 12,000 First capacity crowd at Northwestern Field. Set stadium record.
1915 Chicago 12,000 First sellout since 1905. ASO*
1916 Iowa 14,000 ASO. Set stadium record. (Trib #. Daily NU differs)
1917 Michigan 15,000 Set stadium record (Trib #. UM records differ)
1919 Wisconsin >15,000 Set stadium record.
1920 Notre Dame
 >20,000 Set stadium record. Expanded seating area.
1922 Purdue 19,000 ASO
1923 Iowa 20,000
1924
 Indiana 18,000 ASO
1925 S. Dakota
 18,000 ASO

*ASO: apparent sellout. These games have confirmed attendance numbers. However, their status as capacity crowds is not confirmed. Given their attendance numbers, these games are apparent sellouts.


II. Dyche Stadium / Ryan Field I
Year Opponent
 Attend. Notes
1926 Chicago 47,000 Set stadium record.
1927 Illinois 50,000 First home crowd over 50K. Set stadium record.
1928 Minnesota 45,000 ASO. Did not use temp endzone seats.
1928 Dartmouth 45,000 ASO
1929 Minnesota 45,000 ASO
1929 Illinois 50,000 Expanded seating area.
1929 Notre Dame
 >50,000 Set stadium record.
1930 Wisconsin 48,000  
1930 Notre Dame
 48,000  
1936 Minnesota 48,347
1938 Minnesota 48,000 ASO
1938 Notre Dame
 48,000 ASO
1940 Minnesota 48,000  
1940 Notre Dame
 48,000  
1941 Notre Dame
 48,000  
1943 Notre Dame
 49,124
1945 Notre Dame
 49,500
1946 Illinois 47,000 ASO
1947 Michigan
 48,000  
1947 Notre Dame
 48,000  
1948 Purdue 48,000
1948 Minnesota 47,000 ASO
1948 Ohio State
 47,000  
1948 Illinois 48,000  
1949 Michigan 54,821 Set stadium record. New south stadium enclosure brought regular capacity to 50K; expanded temp north seating.
1949 Wisconsin 51,000 ASO
1950 Ohio State
 50,000 ASO
1950 Illinois <50,000 ASO
1951 Wisconsin 50,000 ASO
1951 Illinois 52,000  
1953 Illinois 51,039  
1958 Ohio State
 51,102  
1959 Oklahoma 50,813  
1959 Wisconsin 55,282 Set stadium record.
1960 Notre Dame
 55,682 Set stadium record.
1960 Illinois 51,782  
1962 Notre Dame
 55,752 Set final stadium record. Largest-ever crowd in Evanston.
1962 Michigan State
 54,342  
1963 Michigan State
 51,013  
1964 Illinois 52,062  
1964 Wisconsin 51,028  
1966 Notre Dame
 55,356  
1970 Notre Dame
 50,409 ASO
1972 Notre Dame
 55,155  
1974 Notre Dame
 54,301  
1983 Illinois 52,333 Last game in Evanston over 50K.
1995 Wisconsin 49,256  
1995 Penn State 49,256  
1995 Iowa 49,256  
1996 Michigan 48,187  
1996 Illinois 48,187  
1997 Wisconsin 47,129 First sellout at renovated Ryan Field. Seat reduction from 49,256 to 47,129.
1997 Michigan State 47,129  
1997 Penn State 47,129  
1998 Michigan 47,129  
1998 Ohio State 47,129  
2000 Michigan 47,130  
2004 Ohio State
 47,130  
2005 Michigan 47,130  
2006 Ohio State
 47,130  
2008 Ohio State
 47,130  
2010 Iowa 47,130  
2011 Michigan 47,330 Small expanded section atop Walker Terrace.
2012 Nebraska 47,330  
2013 Ohio State
 47,330  
2013 Michigan 47,330  
2014 Nebraska 47,330  
2018 Michigan 47,330   
2018 Nebraska 47,330     
2018 Wisconsin
 47,330 Announced attendance; fewer actual.
2018 Notre Dame
 47,330 Possibly NU's first home game ever for which individual tickets were not available.
2019 Ohio State
 47,330 Announced attendance; fewer actual.

There were two non-NU football games that sold out Dyche Stadium, including the aforementioned NFL game between the Bears and Eagles in 1970.

1943's College All-Star game (including Otto Graham) was held at Dyche (due to World War II, it was moved from Soldier Field) and drew 48,437, very close to a sellout. Rain caused a few no-shows. The second All-Star game held at Dyche, in 1944, was sold out, with 49,256 in attendance.



III. Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Year Opponent
 Attend. Notes
2024 Miami (O)
 12,023 Capacity sellout; set stadium record.
2024 Duke 11,062 Announced sellout despite lower announced attendance.
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IV. Ryan Field II
Year Opponent
 Attend. Notes
--- --- --- ---
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V. NU Home Game Sellouts, Off-Campus

Year Opponent
 Attend. Notes
1923 Illinois 32,000 Home game at Wrigley Field. Seats expanded from 20K regular capacity at Cubs Park.
1994 Notre Dame
 66,946 Home game at Soldier Field
2010 Illinois 41,058 Home game at Wrigley Field. Reconfigured seating.

The 1992 home game vs. Notre Dame at Soldier Field, while a large crowd, was not a sellout. 

Also, the 1991 home game vs. Ohio State at Cleveland Stadium was not sold out.  However, the game's attendance, 73,830, does make it technically the largest attendance for a Northwestern home game, on or off campus.