Football: ‘Wildcat Wall’ to emulate European soccer supporter sections

Daily file photo by Maya Heyman

The student section, known as the “Wildcat Wall,” will feature 2,000 seats over the turf at a 33-degree angle and 65% slope.

Yoni Zacks, Newsletter Editor

May 17, 2026

As the opening day of the new Ryan Field approaches, more details have been announced about what fans can expect, including the “Wildcat Wall.”

The Wall will place students directly over the end zone, with the 2,000-seat supporters’ section towering over the turf at a 33-degree angle.

A first for college football, the Wall is being built to encourage students to stand the whole game, with railings for support. Seating will be available for those who need it.

Weinberg sophomore and Wildside Vice President of Operations Lara Granja said she is excited about the level of engagement she hopes the new stadium will bring among students.

“I think that’s a really cool idea,” Granja said. “It keeps students engaged the entire game. We’re normally standing at football games anyway in the bleachers, so I think that was a really neat feature.”

Standing at sports games is a frequent occurrence in European soccer, where one end of the stadium is turned into a supporters’ section.

Pat Ryan Jr., the CEO of Ryan Sports Development, said the success of the student section at Welsh-Ryan Arena inspired the creation of the Wall, according to a Northwestern Now article.

“As Welsh-Ryan Arena’s intense environment has proven, students drive the energy in college sports,” Ryan said in the article. “To create the most powerful student section in college football, we imported the design of the most intense supporter section in European football to create the Wildcat Wall for Northwestern students.”

The enhanced student experience begins before the Wall, however. Students will enter the Wall by passing through the Purple Line, college football’s first student hype tunnel, modeled after the team’s hype tunnel.

Student gamedays will begin at the Student Plaza, which will include a balcony overlooking the area.

Just inside the stadium will sit The Paynter Family Hall, a space dedicated for students to explore NU’s football history and connection to Evanston.

Ryan Field, the first Power 4 stadium built since 2014, will open with the Wildcats’ tilt against Penn State on Oct. 2.

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