(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Northwestern University on Wednesday announced the Wildcats will play football for the next two seasons at a lakefront athletic complex that will undergo temporary “enhancements” to accommodate home games.
Work will begin this summer to fortify the Lanny and Sharon Martin athletics facility, which will serve as the Wildcats’ Evanston base for the 2024 and 2025 seasons as Ryan Field is rebuilt, college officials said.
They did not rule out the possibility of the football team playing at other Chicago-area locations this year; the full home schedule will be released soon, officials said.
NU said it has partnered with InProduction, the company that built the NASCAR viewing area for last summer’s street race in Chicago. Other Northwestern sports teams, including lacrosse and men’s and women’s soccer, will also use the Martin athletic complex.
The reconfiguration will incorporate part of Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field, too, but seating capacity for football games will be “considerably less” than Ryan Field, the university said. Season ticket holders and students will have priority for seating during the stopgap measure, officials said.
“I am thrilled that we could make this happen. It’s truly a win for our community,” University President Michael Schill said in a prepared statement.
“In addition to creating a wonderful fan experience in the lead-up to the opening of Ryan Field, hosting games on campus will reduce the travel burdens for our student-athletes and fans and will make games much more accessible.”
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