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Attendance
Records
Page Posted
1/15/10;
Updated
10/20/24
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NU Attendance Records
and Sold Out Games
Northwestern Games, General Attendance Records
- Largest crowd, any venue: 112,510 -- 2012 vs. Michigan (Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI)
- Largest crowd, any home venue, on or off-campus: 73,830 -- 1991 vs. Ohio State (NU home game at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, OH)
- Largest crowd, home game on-campus: 55,752 -- 1962 vs. Notre Dame (Dyche Stadium)
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
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.
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Historical List of All Sold-Out or At-Capacity
Northwestern Home Games, by Venue
I. Athletic Grounds / Campus Meadow (Deering Meadow) (1876 - 1890)
II A. North Campus Field (1890 - 1891)
Technically,
there were no "sold out" games played at these early venues. None of
the three locations-- the old athletic grounds, Campus Meadow, and the
early configuration of the North Campus Field (later Sheppard Field)--
had stands or permanent bleachers, and the field could accomodate the
crowds.
II B. North Campus Field / Sheppard Field (1891 - 1904)
While
the grandstand had not yet been built at North Campus Field in 1891,
there was one game played that season that was clearly "standing room
only" and filled the venue to capacity. Beginning in 1892, NU had
permanent stands for its football sites.
| Year |
Opponent
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Attend. |
Notes |
| 1891 |
Lake Forest
|
~1,500 |
ASO* Set venue record.
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| 1892 |
Beloit |
1,000+ |
ASO
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| 1893 |
Lake Forest
|
1,500+ |
ASO. Likely set stadium record.
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| 1893 |
Chicago |
? |
"Unusually high" attendance. ASO.
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| 1893 |
Lake Forest
|
? |
Rematch with Lake Forest had very hight attendance. ASO.
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| 1894 |
Lake Forest
|
1,000+ |
"Sellout" is debatable: many attendees refused to pay and jumped the gate, starting a near riot.
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| 1895 |
Rush-Lake Forest
|
2,000 |
Thought at the time to be the stadium record. Game was against a team composed of both Rush and LF players.
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| 1895 |
Chicago |
2,000 - 3,000
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Likely set stadium record. Attendance accounts vary widely.
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1896
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Chicago A.C.
|
1,500+ |
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| 1896 |
Chicago
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3,000 |
Set stadium record.
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| 1896
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Wisconsin
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2,000 - 5,000
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ASO. Accounts vary widely (Chicago Tribune gives 5,000, which would be the stadium record).
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| 1897
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Wisconsin
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3,000+
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ASO
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| 1898
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Wisconsin
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2,000+
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ASO
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| 1900 |
Illinois |
3,000 |
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1900
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Beloit |
2,000 - 5,000
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Another game for which accounts vary significantly. ASO.
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| 1902
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Fort Sheridan
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1,000+
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Attendance given as "well over 1,000" but was likely capacity.
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| 1902 |
Rush Med.
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1,000+ |
Same as vs. Fort Sheridan-- ASO.
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| 1904 |
Fort Sheridan
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1,000+ |
Another game likely at capacity but listed as "over 1,000"
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| 1904 |
Beloit |
3,000 |
Standing room only.
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| 1904 |
DePauw |
2,200 |
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| 1904 |
Illinois |
~3,000 |
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*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.
In addition to the games listed above, there were several games at
Sheppard Field for which there are no known attendance numbers, and
could have been capacity-- either because of the hype around the game
or the importance of the opponent. We simply do not know if these games
were capacity or not. They include: 1892 vs. Wisconsin, 1897 vs. Iowa, 1898 vs. Beloit, 1901 vs. Beloit
III. Northwestern Field (1905 - 1925)
| Year |
Opponent
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Attend. |
Notes |
| 1905 |
Chicago |
12,000 |
First capacity crowd at Northwestern Field. Set stadium record.
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| 1915 |
Chicago |
12,000 |
First sellout since 1905. ASO
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| 1916 |
Iowa |
14,000 |
ASO. Set stadium record. (Trib #. Daily NU differs)
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| 1917 |
Michigan |
15,000 |
Set stadium record (Trib #. UM records differ)
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| 1919 |
Wisconsin |
>15,000 |
Set stadium record.
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| 1920 |
Notre Dame
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>20,000 |
Set stadium record. Expanded seating area.
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| 1922 |
Purdue |
19,000 |
ASO
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| 1923 |
Iowa |
20,000 |
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1924
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Indiana |
18,000 |
ASO
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| 1925 |
S. Dakota
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18,000 |
ASO
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IV. Dyche Stadium / Ryan Field I (1926 - 2023)
| Year |
Opponent
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Attend. |
Notes |
| 1926 |
Chicago |
47,000 |
Set stadium record.
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| 1927 |
Illinois |
50,000 |
First home crowd over 50K. Set stadium record.
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| 1928 |
Minnesota |
45,000 |
ASO. Did not use temp endzone seats.
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| 1928 |
Dartmouth |
45,000 |
ASO
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| 1929 |
Minnesota |
45,000 |
ASO
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| 1929 |
Illinois |
50,000 |
Expanded seating area. |
| 1929 |
Notre Dame
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>50,000 |
Set stadium record. |
| 1930 |
Wisconsin |
48,000 |
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| 1930 |
Notre Dame
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48,000 |
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| 1936 |
Minnesota |
48,347 |
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| 1938 |
Minnesota |
48,000 |
ASO
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| 1938 |
Notre Dame
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48,000 |
ASO
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| 1940 |
Minnesota |
48,000 |
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| 1940 |
Notre Dame
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48,000 |
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| 1941 |
Notre Dame
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48,000 |
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| 1943 |
Notre Dame
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49,124 |
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| 1945 |
Notre Dame
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49,500 |
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| 1946 |
Illinois |
47,000 |
ASO
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| 1947 |
Michigan
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48,000 |
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| 1947 |
Notre Dame
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48,000 |
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| 1948 |
Purdue |
48,000 |
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| 1948 |
Minnesota |
47,000 |
ASO
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| 1948 |
Ohio State
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47,000 |
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| 1948 |
Illinois |
48,000 |
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| 1949 |
Michigan |
54,821 |
Set stadium record. New south stadium enclosure brought regular capacity to 50K; expanded temp north seating.
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| 1949 |
Wisconsin |
51,000 |
ASO
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| 1950 |
Ohio State
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50,000 |
ASO
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| 1950 |
Illinois |
<50,000 |
ASO
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| 1951 |
Wisconsin |
50,000 |
ASO
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| 1951 |
Illinois |
52,000 |
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| 1953 |
Illinois |
51,039 |
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| 1958 |
Ohio State
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51,102 |
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| 1959 |
Oklahoma |
50,813 |
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| 1959 |
Wisconsin |
55,282 |
Set stadium record. |
| 1960 |
Notre Dame
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55,682 |
Set stadium record. |
| 1960 |
Illinois |
51,782 |
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| 1962 |
Notre Dame
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55,752 |
Set final stadium record. Largest-ever crowd in Evanston.
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| 1962 |
Michigan State
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54,342 |
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| 1963 |
Michigan State
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51,013 |
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| 1964 |
Illinois |
52,062 |
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| 1964 |
Wisconsin |
51,028 |
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| 1966 |
Notre Dame
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55,356 |
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| 1970 |
Notre Dame
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50,409 |
ASO |
| 1972 |
Notre Dame
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55,155 |
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| 1974 |
Notre Dame
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54,301 |
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| 1983 |
Illinois |
52,333 |
Last game in Evanston over 50K.
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| 1995
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Wisconsin
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49,256
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| 1995
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Penn State
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49,256
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| 1995
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Iowa
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49,256
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| 1996
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Michigan
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48,187
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| 1996
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Illinois
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48,187
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| 1997
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Wisconsin
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47,129
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First sellout at renovated Ryan Field. Seat reduction from 49,256 to 47,129.
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| 1997
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Michigan State
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47,129
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| 1997
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Penn State
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47,129
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| 1998
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Michigan
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47,129
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| 1998
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Ohio State
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47,129
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| 2000
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Michigan
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47,130
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| 2004 |
Ohio State
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47,130 |
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| 2005 |
Michigan |
47,130 |
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| 2006 |
Ohio State
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47,130 |
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| 2008 |
Ohio State
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47,130 |
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| 2010 |
Iowa |
47,130 |
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| 2011 |
Michigan |
47,330 |
Small expanded section atop Walker Terrace.
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| 2012 |
Nebraska |
47,330 |
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| 2013 |
Ohio State
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47,330 |
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| 2013 |
Michigan |
47,330 |
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| 2014 |
Nebraska |
47,330 |
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| 2018 |
Michigan |
47,330 |
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| 2018 |
Nebraska |
47,330 |
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| 2018 |
Wisconsin
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47,330 |
Announced attendance; fewer actual.
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| 2018 |
Notre Dame
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47,330 |
Possibly NU's first home game ever for which individual tickets were not available.
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| 2019 |
Ohio State
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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.
V. Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium (2024 - )
| Year |
Opponent
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Attend. |
Notes |
| 2024 |
Miami (O)
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12,023 |
Capacity sellout; set stadium record.
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| 2024 |
Duke |
11,062 |
Announced sellout despite lower announced attendance.
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| 2024 |
Indiana |
12,023 |
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| 2024 |
Wisconsin |
12,023 |
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VI. Ryan Field II
| Year |
Opponent
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Attend. |
Notes |
| --- |
--- |
--- |
---
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| --- |
--- |
--- |
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VII. NU Home Game Sellouts, Off-Campus
| Year |
Opponent
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Attend. |
Notes |
| 1923 |
Illinois |
32,000 |
Home game at Wrigley Field. Seats expanded from 20K regular capacity at Cubs Park.
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| 1994 |
Notre Dame
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66,946 |
Home game at Soldier Field
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| 2010 |
Illinois |
41,058 |
Home game at Wrigley Field. Reconfigured seating.
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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.
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