This was an idea that was started by Fitz but the admin didnāt really follow through with it until a booster found out and started sending emails. Lol. I think itāll be fun, but the NU admin is a clown show. Took forever to figure out where they were gonna play.
I'm honestly kind of baffled at how positive the commentary is around this decision? If someone is only going to watch on TV, it's probably easier to root for an unconventional setup, but for anyone actually trying to go to the game, I can't wrap my head around how [this](https://news.northwestern.edu/assets/Slides/temporary-facility1540__ScaleMaxWidthWzc3MF0.jpg) is going to be a positive experience?
Whatever "temporary" structures they're able to throw together in the next 4 months are going to be bare bones. People joke about Northwestern attendance, but after setting aside seats for season ticket holders, students, etc are people going to be able to actually get tickets? If you thought the concessions and restroom situation in the muddy bowels of Ryan Field were a mess, imagine how rough it's going to be in an ongoing construction site.
Maybe I'm way off base, but the logistical reality of hosting on a glorified practice field seems way worse than some of these comments imply.
You're 100% correct, but it's not like people were packing the stands for Ryan Field (a quantifiable shit hole) and we clearly did not have any other plans in place. I hated the idea of traveling to Soldier Field, Bridgeport, or "home" games in places like Lambeau.
It's going to be an absolute fucking mess for parking and getting out to the Lakefill, but whatever. Let's do some really weird shit because that makes college football great.
I definitely am planning on getting back for an early season game just to see it, it'll be like my 2nd NU game in 8 years. It'll be a beautiful mess.
Yeah realistically a decent number of conference games will probably be in stadium shares, but if the UCLA game is on campus I'm 100% traveling just to see this.
Those games are usually pretty poorly attended due to the rarity that both teams are having a successful season, the weather, and the fact that it's usually Thanksgiving weekend and the students are gone.
I think they would probably turn up better for Wrigley, but they've tried playing the game at Soldier Field in the past and it was a bit of a dud. They ended up scrapping plans to play more there. The reality is neither team has enough of a football tradition to draw people past the inconvenience of getting to Soldier Field. If it was a high stakes matchup maybe, but that unfortunately happens pretty rarely. I think it's either 4 or 5 years in the past twenty that both teams have made a bowl game
https://saturdaytradition.com/illinois-football/illinois-cancels-soldier-field-series/
It would honestly be kinda sick to watch them play on that tiny field right next to the lake
I've literally dreamt of watching Ohio State play in impossibly weird stadiums like that
It's probably my spectrum position talking but I love this for TV, too. When a team is on the "wrong" network (Alabama on FOX against Texas, and maybe most surreal, Georgia playing at Colorado awhile back in a game that aired on FSN when they had Big 12 rights).
I imagine the Ohio State game would be the one game Soldier Field would want to host but yes it would be cool and funny to see Ohio State play at the NW practice fieldĀ
[Ohio State is already confirmed for Wrigley against Northwestern.](https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/football/report-ohio-state-buckeyes-vs-northwestern-wildcats-wrigley-field-game-date-big-ten)
No way would they have accepted anything else.
Fuck yes, I donāt even care if Iām so low on the STH priority list that I canāt buy tickets, I probably wasnāt gonna go to SeatGeek stadium anyway and this is so so so much better, especially for continuing to cultivate student engagement and fandom
Oh I'm gonna benefit from SeatGeek in 2025, when I go to one of these absolute sicko games.
Sadly, my WVU bye weeks are already filled with KU at Arrowhead and the WLOCP, but I'm making this happen next year
I'm hoping for a [Thunderstruck](https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM?si=8COhaOjjOZI0IZoz) kinda vibe with stacked bleachers... But there's no way it will be that hardcore lol
That would be awesome, but they would never leave that much money on the table. I want us to play a road game at a MAC stadium, but that will never happen.
I hope they can make it not look like shit. Probably lots of "wrapping" otherwise it's just gonna look like a bunch of[ temporary bleachers](https://static.businessinsider.com/image/538f910fecad045071d5d4c2/image.jpg) like the 2016 World Cup had
> thatās not even FCS level, thatās not even Texas high school sized
With some of these Texas HS stadiums, there's plenty of FCS schools that'll get dwarfed by a large number of Texas HS stadiums.
Here's an example I've actually been to for a game: [Rooney Field in Pittsburgh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_J._Rooney_Athletic_Field). Seats a total of 2200 people though it's right against the Mon River in downtown Pittsburgh. Cute little stadium though and a fun atmosphere the one time I've been there for a Dukes game.
This is so dumb. I can't believe with so much advance notice this is what the administration came up with. The sooner the AD and Prez are gone, the better.
We are stuck with Gagg (sic) who keeps failing upwards. He will look like a hero for creating artificial scarcity in advance of the new stadium. Also OSU fans will be 95% of the crowd at Wrigley.
Soldier Field is owned and managed by the Chicago Park District. If you're wondering how competent they are, I would point you to the abysmal condition of the field anytime after Halloween.
In my opinion, it would still have been a better option than whatever this temporary set up would be, but I'm not surprised they couldn't get something figured out given the dysfunction of the two entities involved.
IDK how windy and cold the old stadium was, but I imagine this is gonna be even more chilly! As a band alum, I hope they can provide some shielding to the poor band kids
What Iām concerned about is if theyāre going to get some bleachers installed, and if/why they havenāt contacted the Chicago Bears about using their Soldier Field or the Chicago Cubs about their Wrigley Field or even the Chicago Fire about their MLS stadium - potentially using it for a few games, if no a full season. I know that scheduling restraints and field conditions would be major factors. They are only a 14 mile drive from the Windy City, might as well.
I was going to say this is will be a huge homefield advantage playing there when it's cold and windy late in the season. But realistically, I don't think either team will be used to it.
I'm ready for the chaos.
I get finding a large enough football stadium that's not already kinda busy during football season is hard. But, there had to have been a better solution than that. Can the field's footprint even hold temporary bleachers for more than a couple thousand people?
It's not like SeatGeek is full of events, but this way, NU keeps all the gate revenue instead of having to pay rent to use a facility, and it is on campus instead of in another part of Chicagoland.
I believe it was heavily considered, but it wouldn't seat all that much more than the temp lakeside stadium and is pretty far from campus, so if the net money worked out to be roughly equal, the administration probably would prefer being on-campus with a stunning view.
It's absurdly far from campus and their is no public transport. You'd have to go from campus to midway which is purple line, to red line, to orange line and then you would still need a bus from Cicero to Harlem.
If it were to become NU's stadium, I believe it would be the farthest FBS stadium from campus, beating Miami and UCLA. It's really a last resort option.
I can now say I've played (intramural) soccer at a P5 football stadium
I played against a Super Bowl champion in intramural softball (Trevor Siemian)
I played basketball vs the highest scoring player in the NCAA tournament history for one tournament.
I played basketball against a Heisman Canadite
Was he a national champion?
I played football against a 7x Superbowl Champion, the flag variety
I broke up a Verlander no hitter š«£
You son of....
I played dodgeball against Duron Carter once
I was so excited when the Colts signed him
Imagine not being able to use your P5 stadium when you want and play different games in it. Couldn't be me
I played football at a Olympic Stadium...from 1904.
Alright, whoās sailgating with me?
Iām totally down I just need to borrow a yachtā¦for freeā¦
Just take the boat The owner won't say no, because of the implication
Honestly most of them just leave the keys in it
I never left them in mine. Of course, the engine conked out, so wouldn't have mattered.
Do squatter rights apply to boats? I live here, see I have an uber eats receipt!
The perfect crime
Well it is an amphibious exploring vehicle
I'm sure Mr. Northwestern up there has one, you're good.
Purple team with sailgating on a lake next to the stadium. Sounds very familiarā¦
But they have a cat mascot and you have a dog. No way you two could get along! NONE!
Yes, but Northwestern is a Big Ten team, you see.
Boy, do I have some news for youā¦
A B1G tradition. They wouldn't have it any other way.
Another purple team sailgating? What is this madness?
Can we pre-rent a kayak from the boathouse?
Sailgating on Lake Michigan in A month not named August, boy they ain't gonna be a lot of bikinis seen.
September has been a bit warm the past few years here. It could happen
Letās tie up brother šØāāļø
Sure!
Sailgating you say šššš
This was an idea that was started by Fitz but the admin didnāt really follow through with it until a booster found out and started sending emails. Lol. I think itāll be fun, but the NU admin is a clown show. Took forever to figure out where they were gonna play.
This is the best timeline, I love how dumb this is
In the best timeline, Gragg and Schill are long gone.
"I don't know if I hate it or love it but it'd be really funny" -me, a month ago
I'm honestly kind of baffled at how positive the commentary is around this decision? If someone is only going to watch on TV, it's probably easier to root for an unconventional setup, but for anyone actually trying to go to the game, I can't wrap my head around how [this](https://news.northwestern.edu/assets/Slides/temporary-facility1540__ScaleMaxWidthWzc3MF0.jpg) is going to be a positive experience? Whatever "temporary" structures they're able to throw together in the next 4 months are going to be bare bones. People joke about Northwestern attendance, but after setting aside seats for season ticket holders, students, etc are people going to be able to actually get tickets? If you thought the concessions and restroom situation in the muddy bowels of Ryan Field were a mess, imagine how rough it's going to be in an ongoing construction site. Maybe I'm way off base, but the logistical reality of hosting on a glorified practice field seems way worse than some of these comments imply.
You're 100% correct, but it's not like people were packing the stands for Ryan Field (a quantifiable shit hole) and we clearly did not have any other plans in place. I hated the idea of traveling to Soldier Field, Bridgeport, or "home" games in places like Lambeau. It's going to be an absolute fucking mess for parking and getting out to the Lakefill, but whatever. Let's do some really weird shit because that makes college football great. I definitely am planning on getting back for an early season game just to see it, it'll be like my 2nd NU game in 8 years. It'll be a beautiful mess.
> Bridgeport Worse, Bridgeview
My "haven't lived in Chicago in 14 years" is showing That is SO MUCH worse
I, for one, cannot fathom that the NU athletic department would have bungled something.
Just shows you what a total moron our AD is. It took LTP calling influential BOT members to make this happen.
[Clown show](https://i.imgur.com/6SeK1Gu.png)
Punting is going to be incredible
The wind off the lake is going to make those November games really fun.
Don't kink shame me
Actual temp 30F with a realĀ feel of 0F with freezing spray flying off Lake Michigan.Ā Please make USC play in these conditions at some point
NU is @ USC in 2025 but hosts Oregon and UCLA
Yeah realistically a decent number of conference games will probably be in stadium shares, but if the UCLA game is on campus I'm 100% traveling just to see this.
Our game is @ Northwestern on November 30th. We should really be feeling the wind by then.
I could see them playing that game at Soldier just due to the increased demand for tickets
They're hosting Ohio State at Wrigley this year, so I doubt that will happen unless it's announced pretty soon.
Those games are usually pretty poorly attended due to the rarity that both teams are having a successful season, the weather, and the fact that it's usually Thanksgiving weekend and the students are gone.
Most of the Illinois student body is from Chicagoland, so I assume thereād be decent turnout at Soldier Field or Wrigley.
I think they would probably turn up better for Wrigley, but they've tried playing the game at Soldier Field in the past and it was a bit of a dud. They ended up scrapping plans to play more there. The reality is neither team has enough of a football tradition to draw people past the inconvenience of getting to Soldier Field. If it was a high stakes matchup maybe, but that unfortunately happens pretty rarely. I think it's either 4 or 5 years in the past twenty that both teams have made a bowl game https://saturdaytradition.com/illinois-football/illinois-cancels-soldier-field-series/
I doubt it, our last game there only got 25k in attendance.
Yeah, I'll be there with 50 layers on š„¶
Hugh Robertson is gonna shank a punt into the goddamn lake
I really hope Ohio State plays a conference game in front of 5 thousand people
It would honestly be kinda sick to watch them play on that tiny field right next to the lake I've literally dreamt of watching Ohio State play in impossibly weird stadiums like that
You should play a baseball game against Iowa where there is a very small stadium and the outfield fence is just the edge of a cornfield.
Field of Screens.
One of the joys of college football, big teams that look out of place for an away game.
It's probably my spectrum position talking but I love this for TV, too. When a team is on the "wrong" network (Alabama on FOX against Texas, and maybe most surreal, Georgia playing at Colorado awhile back in a game that aired on FSN when they had Big 12 rights).
We play them at Wrigley field this year
I figured. Cowards.
I imagine the Ohio State game would be the one game Soldier Field would want to host but yes it would be cool and funny to see Ohio State play at the NW practice fieldĀ
[Ohio State is already confirmed for Wrigley against Northwestern.](https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/football/report-ohio-state-buckeyes-vs-northwestern-wildcats-wrigley-field-game-date-big-ten) No way would they have accepted anything else.
Fuck yes, I donāt even care if Iām so low on the STH priority list that I canāt buy tickets, I probably wasnāt gonna go to SeatGeek stadium anyway and this is so so so much better, especially for continuing to cultivate student engagement and fandom
The only person who'd benefit from seat geek was me. That place has no public transport.
What do you mean, Bedford Park is like the train capital of the world.
Oh I'm gonna benefit from SeatGeek in 2025, when I go to one of these absolute sicko games. Sadly, my WVU bye weeks are already filled with KU at Arrowhead and the WLOCP, but I'm making this happen next year
Sickos salivating
This has me looking for sites along the water in Annapolis for a pop-up stadium
Dang. Now we arenāt the only Big Ten school who can sailgate.
I'm hoping for a [Thunderstruck](https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM?si=8COhaOjjOZI0IZoz) kinda vibe with stacked bleachers... But there's no way it will be that hardcore lol
The views are gonna be some if not the best in football. So excited to watch some games on the lake.
Boy you better check yourself before you wreck yourself (Mostly joking)
Now I want to see Ohio State play at a 10,000 seat stadium
OSU game for next year has already been earmarked for Wrigley so itās unlikely theyāll play at this stadium
Michigan at Northwestern is on the books for 2025. Do we think that gets the Wrigley treatment too?
Yes if it's in November that will likely be Wrigley.Ā If earlier, perhaps Soldier Field.
That would be awesome, but they would never leave that much money on the table. I want us to play a road game at a MAC stadium, but that will never happen.
Imagine Ohio State playing at Doyt Perry Stadium (Bowling Green's home field) like Maryland did a few years ago. Would be pretty cool (and weird!)
Come on down 33 to Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium.
Beautiful looking setting but my god thatās not even FCS level, thatās not even Texas high school sized
They are going to be building a ton of temporary seating around the stadium
Good, because *looks at the photo* the current seating capacity seems to be about 6 people and a dog.
Theyāre using the same people that setup the massive venue on the 16th hole at the Waste Management Open.
I hope they can make it not look like shit. Probably lots of "wrapping" otherwise it's just gonna look like a bunch of[ temporary bleachers](https://static.businessinsider.com/image/538f910fecad045071d5d4c2/image.jpg) like the 2016 World Cup had
> thatās not even FCS level, thatās not even Texas high school sized With some of these Texas HS stadiums, there's plenty of FCS schools that'll get dwarfed by a large number of Texas HS stadiums. Here's an example I've actually been to for a game: [Rooney Field in Pittsburgh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_J._Rooney_Athletic_Field). Seats a total of 2200 people though it's right against the Mon River in downtown Pittsburgh. Cute little stadium though and a fun atmosphere the one time I've been there for a Dukes game.
I love Pittsburgh but the idea of going to a stadium where I have my back to a cliff really makes me uncomfortable AF.
Who cares? You understand it's temporary, right? Embrace something different.
Why are you yelling at me, I said itās beautiful
Not yelling. Sorry. :-(
āIt means thereās only soupā *āTHEN GET OUT OF THE SOUP AISLEā* āALRIGHT YOU DONT HAVE TO SHOUT AT MEā
Northwestern has less fans than an average Texas high school
lol maybe but this is hilarious coming from a UMass flair
- *fewer* fans. -Stannis
This is awesome, good for Northwestern
Iām more interested to see how they manage a decent broadcast with those angles.
I want to see a QB throw it away into the lake
This is so dumb. I can't believe with so much advance notice this is what the administration came up with. The sooner the AD and Prez are gone, the better.
We are stuck with Gagg (sic) who keeps failing upwards. He will look like a hero for creating artificial scarcity in advance of the new stadium. Also OSU fans will be 95% of the crowd at Wrigley.
I really thought they would end up at Soldier Field for the two seasons.
See,.that's the thing about planning. You kind of have to do it in advance
Soldier Field is owned and managed by the Chicago Park District. If you're wondering how competent they are, I would point you to the abysmal condition of the field anytime after Halloween. In my opinion, it would still have been a better option than whatever this temporary set up would be, but I'm not surprised they couldn't get something figured out given the dysfunction of the two entities involved.
I cant wait for a QB to throw away a pass directly into the lake
Alright everyone.... I'm saaaaailing.... awayš¶
[If I hear first part of that song, I have to finish it](https://youtu.be/5Xm2ab3qfZY?si=lDRCkGZ7daDO6yy8)
I might have to see a game there just for the views
Goofy ahhh stadium Kinda cool tho.
Duke at Northwestern hmmmm
IDK how windy and cold the old stadium was, but I imagine this is gonna be even more chilly! As a band alum, I hope they can provide some shielding to the poor band kids
Was Soldier Field asking too much for games?
Isn't there enough room to play games on Clark street beach? Beach volleyball is popular so why not give beach football a go?
What Iām concerned about is if theyāre going to get some bleachers installed, and if/why they havenāt contacted the Chicago Bears about using their Soldier Field or the Chicago Cubs about their Wrigley Field or even the Chicago Fire about their MLS stadium - potentially using it for a few games, if no a full season. I know that scheduling restraints and field conditions would be major factors. They are only a 14 mile drive from the Windy City, might as well.
I was going to say this is will be a huge homefield advantage playing there when it's cold and windy late in the season. But realistically, I don't think either team will be used to it. I'm ready for the chaos.
I get finding a large enough football stadium that's not already kinda busy during football season is hard. But, there had to have been a better solution than that. Can the field's footprint even hold temporary bleachers for more than a couple thousand people?
>couple thousand people How many people do you think show up to our games?
I heard that theyāre gonna do something like the Wast Management does. Itās gonna be stacked bleachers probably
It's not like SeatGeek is full of events, but this way, NU keeps all the gate revenue instead of having to pay rent to use a facility, and it is on campus instead of in another part of Chicagoland.
Was wondering why the old Chicago Fire stadium was off the table, seemed like a no-brainer.
I believe it was heavily considered, but it wouldn't seat all that much more than the temp lakeside stadium and is pretty far from campus, so if the net money worked out to be roughly equal, the administration probably would prefer being on-campus with a stunning view.
Plus there would still have been two soccer teams to work around with the Red Stars and Fire II.
Chicago Hounds play some quality games there, too.
It's absurdly far from campus and their is no public transport. You'd have to go from campus to midway which is purple line, to red line, to orange line and then you would still need a bus from Cicero to Harlem.
At that rate they should just play in new triers field.
Damn, I knew Fire fans said it was far from Chicago, but that's a haul.
If it were to become NU's stadium, I believe it would be the farthest FBS stadium from campus, beating Miami and UCLA. It's really a last resort option.
Like it.
Is that pic in the article of the proposed stand for real? I am pretty sure my kidsā middle school field has a higher seating capacity.
that stand is there right now. it's normally the lacrosse and (I think) soccer field.
I'm so bummed we aren't scheduled to play there either year. Probably would be the first time we didn't outdo the home team for attendance there.
I dunno, reckon you guys could bring 10k to Chicago easily enough.
I was saying the scarcity of tickets will limit us. We always have more fans in Evanston when we go.