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NU Home Sites:
New Ryan Field
Page Created
10/15/21;
Updated
7/3/26
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Northwestern On-Campus Home Game Venues #6:
Northwestern
announced in September 2021 that the Pat and Shirley Ryan Family had donated
$480 million additional dollars to conclude NU's We Will fundraising
campaign. It was the largest single donation in the history of the
university.
Much of the donation was earmarked for biomedical, economic, and
business research. However, a portion went to restarting the
school's effort to upgrade the Ryan Field facilities. Originally slated
for 2014, renovations to the field were tabled so that the school could
address Welsh-Ryan Arena and the new football training facility on the
lakeshore. The 2021 Ryan donation was the lead
gift for Ryan Field's transformation, designed to provide "an enhanced
gameday experience." Much of the new construction focused on Americans
with Disabilities Act compliance and environmental factors.
The school launched a website for the renovations: RebuildRyanField.com.
A
year later, in September 2022, Northwestern revealed further plans for
the stadium: an entirely new facility, built from the ground
up on the old stadium's site (the new stadium occupies the
same footprint as the old stadium, but is rotated about 25 degrees
diagonally). The new Ryan Field costs an astounding $850
million, making it one of the most expensive college-only stadia in all
of college football, and includes state-of-the-art facilities.
As expected, the seating capacity was reduced to 35,000, with a
mix of standard and luxury seating and skyboxes. The facility has the
feel of a modern soccer stadium, with a massive overhang to shield
nearly every seat in the stadium.
Northwestern
received approval for the new stadium in early 2024, and Evanston
signed the permit to tear down the old Ryan Field I in early February
2024. NU began demolishing the old stadium within a week.
During
the period Ryan Field II was under construction, NU used
Martin Stadium on the lakefill as its primary home field.
NU will open the New Ryan Field this season-- what would have been the 100th anniversary
of the old stadium. In February 2026, NU annouced that the stadium's
debut will be Friday, October 2, in the game vs. Penn State. October 2
is the 100th anniversary of Dyche Stadium's first game.
Venue Name: Ryan Field (II). ("The New Ryan Field").
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Dates Used: Scheduled opening in October 2026.
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First Game: Scheduled to be Friday, October 2, 2026 vs. Penn State.
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NU Record at New Ryan Field: n/a.
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Turf: FieldTurf (manufactured by Tarkett)
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Largest Crowd: Capacity is planned at 35K.
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Night Game (6:00 pm kickoff or later)
- Time TBA, Friday, October 2, 2026—vs. Penn State. Announced as a night game.
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Highlight Game(s): n/a
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