Northwestern and the Ryan Family unveiled the first public look at the $850 million new Ryan Field Project in a Monday news release. The 35,000 capacity venue — marketed as a “year-round community asset” is scheduled to open during the 2026 football season.
“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,” Pat Ryan Jr. said in the release.
The new Ryan Field will be the smallest capacity football stadium in the Big Ten.
According to the release, the new facility is expected to have a $1.3 billion impact on the Chicago Area — and a $659 million impact on Evanston.
In addition to Wildcat football games, the stadium will host youth sporting events, community events, holiday festivals, student activities and concerts.
“This project marks a new era for Northwestern and the Big Ten,” NU Athletic Director Mark Jackson said in the release. “Our new stadium will provide a dynamic, fan-focused environment that reflects Chicago’s prominence in the Big Ten Conference and elevates the standards for college football stadiums nationwide.”
With the design leveraging modern engineering, each stadium level is optimized to be as close to the field as possible. The facility will feature a canopy that covers every seat but not the playing surface, which the University has marketed as both a “homefield sound advantage” and a barrier from inclement weather.
The plans also include 194% of required ADA seating and four premium clubs open to year-round events.
The ’Cats are slated to host South Dakota State on Sept. 12, 2026, in the first-ever game in the new Ryan Field.
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