Sadly I won't be watching any game there. I only watch Univ of Chicago football games...virtually.
Why Northwestern Wants Big-Time Football’s Smallest Venue
Eben Novy-Williams
By Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico
November 18, 2024 10:00am
Northwestern Ryan Field Capacity Smallest Big Ten 35,000
The new $850 million stadium will have 35,000 seats, but it will emphasize premium seating areas that bring in the bulk of revenue.
Illustration by Lorenzo Gordon, Rendering courtesy of Ryan Sports Development
Northwestern University’s new $850 million stadium project has two notable and almost contradictory superlatives. Upon its completion in 2026, it will be the most expensive college football stadium ever built. It will also have the fewest seats among the 34 Power Two teams.
The new Ryan Field, majority financed by the billionaire Ryan family, will have 35,000 seats. That’s 12,000 fewer than the school’s previous football venue, and 42,000 seats smaller than the average among the other Big Ten and SEC schools. The next smallest venue in that cohort is 40,550 (Vanderbilt), and it was built in 1922.
So what is Northwestern thinking? First, there are some practical considerations. Geometrically, without a 40,000-seat upper bowl, the entire stadium can be closer to the action, allowing for better sightlines. Financially, upper bowl seats are the most expensive to build and typically produce the least revenue.
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