Northwestern’s Revamped Ryan Field Set to Host Debut Match Against Penn State on October 2nd in Evanston, Illinois

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — Northwestern football enthusiasts will need to exercise patience before witnessing their Wildcats in action at the newly constructed stadium during the Big 10 conference games.

The much-anticipated Ryan Field in Evanston is now expected to debut in October, missing the initial kickoff of the 2026 football season.

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This impressive $862 million project, a generous gift to the university, also brings substantial financial benefits to the city of Evanston. According to the Ryan family, this timeline aligns with their original plans.

Inclement weather, characterized by cold and rain throughout the fall and winter months, has delayed progress by approximately five weeks. Despite these setbacks, the 35,000-seat stadium is beginning to dominate Central Street in Evanston, albeit as a more compact and shorter version of the historic structure it replaces.

Insurance magnate Pat Ryan’s alma mater is the proud recipient of this new field, thanks to the benevolence of the Ryan family.

Pat Ryan Jr. with RyanSports Development says after a lot of community consultation, people are going to love the project. But like all things that represent change, that might take a little while.

“Sometimes, when a new project comes and it’s different, some people can start to catastrophize things and imagine something worse. And I think, we announce where to do a holiday festival there Christmastime, we’re going to do it, Halloween and autumn festival, and I think people really, those things. You know, I think, there’s a lot of excitement about the fact that we’re going to be a good neighbor. We’re going to keep our promises,” Ryan said.

The first game under the new lights will take place on Friday, Oct. 2 vs. Penn State.