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There are a number of iconic venues across the world of college football.
Ryan Field on the campus of Northwestern University is, uh, not one of them.
The nearly 100-year-old stadium is set to be demolished and replaced with a new venue in 2026. But that leaves the Wildcats homeless for the next two seasons, and they’re considering a revolutionary new idea to solve that problem.
Patrick Finley of The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Northwestern has “even studied building a temporary structure — think a golf grandstand — on campus near its football practice facility.”
Noted dweeb and famed sports business reporter Darren Rovell reports that the university is considered a temporary grandstand similar to that on the 16th hole of the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. The new structure would seat somewhere between 15-20 thousand fans. While Ryan Field currently has a capacity of 47,130. Though the Wildcats rarely fill their traditional home stadium.
Northwestern is considering a temporary 15-20K capacity stadium like the @wmphoenixopen 16th hole on Lake Michigan this season while their new stadium gets built.
1. Make a statement.
2. Hold home field advantage instead of playing a neutral venues.
3. Sailgating! pic.twitter.com/LJRytsR3Qb
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 5, 2024
Northwestern Considering Several Options For 2024/25 Football Stadium
There is, however, one slight problem.
Northwestern’s practice facility is directly on the shore of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan, particularly in late fall, gets very windy.
Putting a temporary grandstand up at the practice field could be extremely dangerous if the wind decides to blow at full force.
Which is why the Wildcats are considering other options as well.
“They could play some games at SeatGeek Stadium, the Bridgeview soccer park about 40 miles from Evanston, or Wrigley Field, where NU has played three times since 2010,” Finley writes. “Major League Baseball stadiums likely would allow the Wildcats to play only in November. At Soldier Field, they have to get in line behind two tenants: the Bears and Fire.”
None of those options seem as fun as the temporary structure. But they’re all far more predictable and easy to pull off.
“At the end of the day, the boxes that need to be checked are: Is it involving our campus community? Is it involving our students? Is it involving our long-term season-ticket holders?” head coach David Braun said of the decision.
Northwestern has less than six months until the 2024 season kicks off again Miami (Ohio). So one way or another, a decision has to come pretty soon.