Northwestern football hosted No. 2 Ohio State at Wrigley Field on Saturday, showcasing one of Chicago’s most iconic venues.
On Monday, the Wildcats unveiled renderings of their brand-new stadium, Ryan Field, which will open in 2026. In a news release, the university said the new stadium will be ‘a state-of-the-art $850 million sports and entertainment venue set to become a landmark for college football and Chicago.’
Northwestern announced that the brand-new state-of-the-art stadium would be funded directly by the Ryan family and would have no public investment. The Ryan family is a minority owner of the Chicago Bears and owns a stake in the English Premier League club AFC Bournemouth.
‘With the new Ryan Field, we are introducing a bold new vision for the future of college sports,’ said Pat Ryan Jr. ‘This stadium is not just a world class football stadium; it’s for our students, and student-athletes, our fans, our alumni, and the Northwestern and Evanston communities. We’re committed to creating spaces that embody the best of what the modern fan experience can be, while building a legacy of economic empowerment and cultural benefits for our community.
‘The Ryan Family is proud to be partnered with Northwestern in creating this transformational project.’ In addition to the Ryan Foundation providing the majority of the funding for the new Ryan Field, the Ryan Family’s sports development team is leading the design and development of the new stadium on a pro bono basis in partnership with Northwestern Athletics.’
Here’s what you need to know about the new Ryan Field for Northwestern football, along with a look at the renderings:
Look: Northwestern releases renderings for new Ryan Field
According to the university, the stadium will host Northwestern football games and serve as an ‘asset’ for the Evanston, Illinois, and Northwestern community for youth sports, holiday festivals, and student activities.
The new 35,000-seat stadium ― the Big Ten’s smallest capacity ― is expected to have a $1.3 billion impact on the Chicago area, with a $659 million impact in Evanston alone. In addition to that, the project is expected to provide $208 million in contracts for minority and women-owned businesses and the Ryan Foundation is providing $10 million to fund workforce development programs for Evanston residents.
According to Northwestern, here are other elements at the new Ryan Field:
All 35,000 seats will offer better-than-tv sightlines. By leveraging modern engineering, each level is optimized for putting it as close to the field as possible, and every seat will feature a comfortable seat back protected from the weather by a canopy
The seating canopy is also specifically engineered to create a powerful homefield sound advantage at games
With 194% of the required ADA seating, universal accessibility and the opportunity for every fan, regardless of physical ability to experience the stadium the same way, it will be the most accessible stadium ever built
More than 200,000 square feet of parks and plazas surrounding the stadium, with the ability to host pregame activities for every type of fan, including pop up restaurants, live music and a community tailgating zone
All main concourses at the new Ryan Field will be open to the stadium bowl, allowing fans to never miss a moment of game
Four premium clubs for every type of fan, from the most hardcore Wildcat supporter to opportunities for corporate entertainment at Chicago’s Big Ten Stadium. Designed by world-renowned architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, the clubs will be available year round for all types of events, meetings and private gatherings.
Partners in the new Ryan Field include Turner Walsh, who is leading construction on the project, as well as architecture firms Perkins & Will and HNTB.