Northwestern to play most home football games in temporary on-campus stadium the next 2 years

While Northwestern builds a new stadium, its football team will stay on campus for home games the next two years.

The school announced Wednesday that it will build a temporary structure attached to Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, the home of its lacrosse and soccer teams, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Northwestern is working with InProduction, which built seating for last summer’s NASCAR race downtown as well as at Hawaii and Florida State. Construction will start this summer, and the facility will be open for the next two football seasons.

Ryan Field, which housed the football team for almost 100 years, is in the process of being demolished. Only the press box and western grandstand remain. The Wildcats will build a new stadium, set to open in 2026, on the site.

Northwestern will still play some of their 2024 home games at Chicago-area venues. In recent months, the Wildcats had discussed playing games at Soldier Field, Wrigley Field and SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. In a statement, the school committed only to playing the majority of their home games on campus this season, saying the schedule will be released soon.

“We talk all the time about providing the ultimate student-athlete experience,” coach David Braun said in a statement. “And keeping our team on campus while providing a true home-field advantage accomplishes that mission.”

Evanston approved Northwestern’s initial application for the structure, whose design has not been released. The women’s lacrosse team — which is ranked No.  1 in the nation — and men’s and women’s soccer teams will continue to play there the next two years.

Football season-ticket holders will get the first chance to buy tickets in the smaller venue, with seats reserved for students.

Northwestern’s home schedule includes games against Miami (Ohio) on Aug. 31, Duke on Sept. 7 and Eastern Illinois on Sept. 14. They’ll play conference home games against Indiana on Oct. 5, Wisconsin on Oct. 19, Ohio State on Nov. 16 and Illinois on Nov. 30.

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