Representatives from the National Women’s Soccer League’s Chicago Stars FC indicated that the team would file for a five-year unique-use permit to host games at Ryan Field during a virtual 7th Ward meeting on Thursday.
The use of the new Ryan Field for sporting events is currently limited to intercollegiate or amateur sports.
“The reason we’re coming to Evanston is that we view Ryan Field as a lifeline for us,” said Stars President Karen Leetzow. “It is a piece of very desirable infrastructure for the women’s game that we don’t have access to anywhere else.”
The Stars most recently spent 12 years playing at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois but announced plans to move to Northwestern’s Martin Stadium for the 2026 season, following years of poor attendance. The team averaged just 5,574 fans at its 2025 games, the league’s second-worst attendance rate.
But the Stars demonstrated local interest in the team, drawing 35,038 fans to a June 2024 match at Wrigley Field, setting a league record. Since 2023, under the ownership of a Laura Ricketts-led investment group, the club has swiftly moved to relocate, at least temporarily, and appears to be attempting to find a more permanent home in Evanston.
The Stars, who train in Bridgeview, announced plans to develop its first club-owned performance center Tuesday at a 10-acre site in Bannockburn, Illinois. The project is expected to be finished before the end of 2027.
A spokesperson for the Stars did not immediately respond to The Daily’s request for comment on their potential relocation.
On Thursday, community members expressed concern about the team’s desire to move to Ryan Field, citing potential congestion and noise.
“Your idea of growing your crowd is my personal neighborhood nightmare,” said Evanston resident Sonia Cohen.
Others, like Laura Deremo, accused the Stars of “invading” the “already overburdened” neighborhood.
Northwestern’s Ryan Field rebuild has been fraught with controversy. In the build-up to the City Council’s late 2023 approval of rezoning, residents cited concerns about noise, traffic and community impact.
At the Thursday meeting, some residents reiterated their disapproval of the Ryan Field rezoning process, adding that the Stars’ potential move would exacerbate concerns about the city and NU ignoring community members’ complaints.
Noelle Schmitt, the director of community for the Stars, said the team had conducted a survey of Evanston residents, finding that 82% of community members support the team’s move to Ryan Field. Some in the meeting objected to this figure, claiming that the team hadn’t properly surveyed the surrounding area.
Still, some residents, like Lara Hamann, spoke in support of the move.
“I understand, and I get, and I empathize that some people do find it disruptive, but it’s not the entire 7th Ward,” Hamann said.
The request is expected to go before the Land Use Commission in February and will likely span two meetings, Ald. Parielle Davis (7th) said. A Planning and Development review will follow.
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