LEED-certified home venue for Wildcats

Image: Northwestern University

Demolition work is nearing completion at the Northwestern Wildcats football team’s 97-year-old home – the Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois (US). The demolition began in February and is now down to the Central seating section on one side and the end-zone on the other. The total stadium rebuild is on track to finish in Summer 2026.

‘CHICAGO YIMBY’ stated that the future stadium is completely privately-funded by Pat and Shirley Ryan and is designed for Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The stadium will have a maximum capacity of 35,000, 12,000 fewer than the previous Ryan Field.

The Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest chartered university in Illinois. The university has its main campus along the shores of Lake Michigan in the Chicago metropolitan area.

The 47,130-capacity Ryan Field was a stadium in Central United States, located in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb North of Chicago. Close to the campus of the Northwestern University, it was primarily used for American football and was the home field of the Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference.

The Northwestern Wildcats football team represents the Northwestern University as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college football team and a member of the Big Ten Conference based near Chicago in Evanston, Illinois (US). Founded in 1851, the Northwestern began playing football in 1882.

Indianapolis (US)-based the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States and one in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of the colleges and helps over 500,000 college student-athletes who compete annually in college sports.

The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic Conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1896, it predates the founding of its regulating organization, the NCAA. It is based in the Chicago area in Rosemont, Illinois.

‘CHICAGO YIMBY’ further stated that the home field for the Wildcats for the next two seasons remains uncertain, with the possibility of games being held at the 41,649-capacity Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, the 61,500-capacity Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, and the 28,000-capacity SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.

On March 26^th, the university filed an application with the City of Evanston for a zoning analysis regarding the 15,000-capacity Martin Stadium at 2235 Campus Drive in Evanston, Illinois. The proposed adjustments aim to accommodate up to 15,000 spectators and facilitate all gameday operations. Currently, the university resides in a U3 zoning district (The U1-U3 is a zoning district in Evanston, Illinois, that is for university use).

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