Attendance
Records
Page Posted
1/15/10;
Updated
10/20/24

 




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.
 
 


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
Attend. Notes
1891 Lake Forest
~1,500 ASO* Set venue record.
1892 Beloit 1,000+ ASO
1893 Lake Forest
1,500+ ASO. Likely set stadium record.
1893 Chicago ? "Unusually high" attendance. ASO.
1893 Lake Forest
? Rematch with Lake Forest had very hight attendance. ASO.
1894 Lake Forest
1,000+ "Sellout" is debatable: many attendees refused to pay and jumped the gate, starting a near riot.
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.
1895 Chicago 2,000 - 3,000
Likely set stadium record. Attendance accounts vary widely.
1896
Chicago A.C.
1,500+
1896 Chicago
3,000 Set stadium record.
1896 Wisconsin 2,000 - 5,000 ASO. Accounts vary widely (Chicago Tribune gives 5,000, which would be the stadium record).
1897 Wisconsin 3,000+ ASO
1898 Wisconsin 2,000+ ASO
1900 Illinois 3,000
1900
Beloit 2,000 - 5,000
Another game for which accounts vary significantly. ASO.
1902 Fort Sheridan 1,000+
Attendance given as "well over 1,000" but was likely capacity.
1902 Rush Med.
1,000+ Same as vs. Fort Sheridan-- ASO.
1904 Fort Sheridan
1,000+ Another game likely at capacity but listed as "over 1,000"
1904 Beloit 3,000 Standing room only.
1904 DePauw 2,200  
1904 Illinois ~3,000

*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
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


IV. Dyche Stadium / Ryan Field I (1926 - 2023)
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.



V. Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium (2024 - )
Year Opponent
Attend. Notes
2024 Miami (O)
12,023 Capacity sellout; set stadium record.
2024 Duke 11,062 Announced sellout despite lower announced attendance.
2024 Indiana 12,023
2024 Wisconsin 12,023

VI. Ryan Field II
Year Opponent
Attend. Notes
--- --- --- ---
--- --- --- ---


VII. 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.