Martin Stadium is the temporary lakeside home for the Northwestern Wildcats. Their former stadium, Ryan Field, was recently torn down after 98 years of action and memories. Northwestern awaits the opening of the new Ryan Field in 2026. The shift will result in one of the most modern stadiums currently in college football. For more on this, click this link:
https://nusports.com/news/2024/11/18/a-bold-new-vision-for-college-football-unveiled-at-northwestern In the meantime, the shore of Lake Michigan is home. Dreams of building an arena on this picturesque site have lingered in the minds of many Wildcat fans. They will have to settle for savoring two seasons of lakeside football before the new era begins.
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Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois is known as the “Wrigley Field” of college football. It doesn’t quite have the history of the Cubs, but it boasts a very classic and old-school stadium atmosphere. For a while now, NU has been calling themselves Chicago’s Big Ten Team. Attempts to market this slogan are popping up around the city, and the evidence is beginning to show with more rumps in the seats in Evanston – perhaps because Chicagoans are slowly realizing that Northwestern is no longer The Big Ten’s little brother.
Northwestern has become a fixture in the postseason and has played the role of spoiler very well. Ryan Field (formally Dyche Stadium) is set in the first city north of Chicago, and it rests a few short blocks from Lake Michigan. The setting is lovely and from the up high, you can grab a glimpse of Chicago’s sparkling skyline.
Get to the stadium a few hours before kickoff to catch “Walk With Us,” the pregame teamwalk that also tips a hat to the late Randy Walker, beloved coach of the ‘Cats from 1999-2005. Fans, the band, and Willie Wildcat all join to welcome the team to the tune of “Go U Northwestern.”
Tailgating flanks each side of the stadium where parking lots fill with folks, food, and festivity. Around campus, and closer to Lake Michigan, lots fill with pregaming fans prepping for kickoff. Near the stadium, you can find all sorts of games, the band, along with local fare.
The stadium is the smallest in the Big Ten, but arguably one of the most delightfully vintage. Built in 1926, it has maintained its charm, and as a fan, you really feel one with the action. Northwestern supporters have been subject to years of a painful product on the field, but since the mid 1990s, the Wildcat brand has become nationally recognized. While some college football enthusiasts are slow to catch up to the reality that Northwestern is a legitimate competitor, it doesn’t take away from this classic gameday atmosphere in Evanston.
