Northwestern University is set to transition its home football games to the highly anticipated New Ryan Field, a state-of-the-art stadium that represents an $862 million investment on its Evanston campus. Once completed in time for the 2026 college football season, the new facility will signal the end of an era for the Wildcats at historic Wrigley Field, the iconic home of the Chicago Cubs.
In a recent statement to Front Office Sports, Northwestern confirmed its plans, stating, “Upon completion of New Ryan Field, Northwestern University plans to host home football games at the new stadium moving forward.” This development is significant for the Wildcats, who are preparing for what is likely their final two games at Wrigley Field. Northwestern will face No. 18 Michigan this Saturday and will play Minnesota the following weekend.
The Cubs organization expressed its support for Northwestern’s move, highlighting their long-standing partnership with the university. “As a proud, long-standing partner of Northwestern Athletics, we congratulate the University on the soon to be launch of their new stadium and wish them great success,” the Cubs said in a statement.
Wrigley Field has a rich history with Northwestern, dating back to its first game played there in 1923, when Northwestern’s home stadium could only accommodate 10,000 fans. The ballpark was a popular venue for college football in its early days, hosting games for teams like DePaul and Loyola, as well as serving as the home stadium for the Bears until 1970. While Northwestern officially opened Ryan Field in 1926, it returned to Wrigley for a unique matchup against Illinois in 2010, during which both teams scored in just one end zone due to safety concerns regarding the proximity of the east side of the field to the right field wall.
Following renovations known as the 1060 Project, which took place from 2014 to 2019, Northwestern has successfully hosted four games at Wrigley since 2021. In addition to football, Northwestern has held baseball games and a lacrosse match at the historic grounds. Future plans for the New Ryan Field include hosting Northwestern lacrosse matches, as confirmed by Pat Ryan Jr., CEO of Ryan Sports Development.
As the Wildcats transition to their new home, fans will likely cherish the memories made at Wrigley Field while looking forward to the opportunities that New Ryan Field will bring, encapsulating a promising new chapter for Northwestern athletics.