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NU Home Sites:
New Ryan Field
Page Created
10/15/21;
Updated
4/10/24
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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 is earmarked for biomedical, economic, and
business research. However, a portion will go 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. According to the school, the 2021 Ryan donation is the lead
gift for Ryan Field's transformation, which will provide "an enhanced
gameday experience." Much of the renovation will focus 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. It will be an entirely new facility, built from the ground
up on the current stadium's site (the new stadium appears to be on the
same footprint as the current stadium, but rotated about 30 degrees
diagonally). The new Ryan Field will cost an astounding $800
million, making it one of the most expensive college-only stadia in all
of college football, and will include state-of-the-art facilities.
As expected, the seating capacity will be reduced, to 35,000, with a
mix of standard and luxury seating and skyboxes. The plans have the
feel of a modern soccer facility, 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.
NU has said that it plans to have the new Ryan Field ready
to go by the 2026 season-- what would have been the 100th anniversary
of the old stadium.
During
the two years that Ryan Field II is under construction, NU will use
Martin Stadium on the lakefill as its primary home field.
Below are some of the images that NU released in September 2022 of the planned stadium.
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