The new Ryan Field will create a world-class home for Northwestern University Athletics and a best in the nation football experience for fans, players, and a year-round asset for the community.
The project will be privately funded - with no taxpayer financing and significant public benefits.
We are moving forward in a way that we believe realizes the benefits of the stadium redevelopment, while addressing community concerns. Based on that feedback, Northwestern is willing to modify its zoning application to significantly reduce the number of events hosted at the stadium annually while still ensuring financial viability.
Reduce the fixed number of concerts in the ordinance to six per year to balance the need to realistically operate the venue while addressing the concerns of neighbors.
No longer asking to modify the original text amendment request that allowed for an unlimited number of 10,000-person University events.
Limit community-based activities at the stadium and plazas to 60 days per year.
We are excited to announce additional financial benefits tied to the Ryan Field redevelopment:
additional commitment from the Ryan Family will enable the University to create an Evanston workforce technology upskilling program.
minimum guarantee in annual tax and fee revenue to the City of Evanston tied to events at the new stadium.
annually to support Evanston Public Schools via the application of a ticket surcharge to concerts at Ryan Field.
annually to support a signature Evanston/Northwestern event that will benefit our entire community as directed by city leadership.
The new Ryan Field stadium campus is possible due to a generous gift from the Ryan Family.
The Ryan Family’s gift was the largest in Northwestern history, and included funding not just for the new stadium, but to accelerate breakthroughs in biomedical, economics and business research.
The new architecturally compelling Ryan Field stadium campus will address the deficiencies of the current stadium and community concerns, interests and goals. It will feature a lower and more appealing profile than the current stadium and will serve as a year-round hub for community activities.
12,000 fewer seats means fewer cars – plus bike valets, ride share plans, and public transit opportunities
A landscaping buffer and a state-of-the-art canopy will reduce the impact of noise and light on the neighborhood
Beautiful plazas with public green space and LEED Gold-Certified design for a more sustainable Ryan Field
The new Ryan Field aspires to be the most accessible stadium in college football
With world-class amenities and the best sightlines in college sports
New plazas creating a premium fan experience - without intrusion into the surrounding neighborhood
The new stadium project will create significant economic benefits for Evanston. During the construction phase the project will generate:
Direct Fees to Evanston
In Economic Impact to Evanston
Supported During the Rebuild
The University is committed to creating economic opportunities for minority-owned, woman-owned and local Evanston businesses.
The target for total subcontracted spending with local, minority-owned and women-owned businesses for the Ryan Field project is 35%, with priority given to businesses and individuals located in Evanston.
The University plans to share additional concepts with the community through a series of listening and learning sessions over the coming months before formally beginning the entitlement process with the City of Evanston.
Meet with representatives of Northwestern University to discuss the new Ryan Field project!
Anderson Hall
East Parking Lot
Free visitor parking at the back of the East Parking lot at the fence of the Sharon J. Drysdale Field
Download FlyerWe have a once-in-a-century opportunity to build a new world-class stadium for all of Evanston that is completely privately funded and developed in collaboration with the community. The new Ryan Field will be an improvement in every way and deliver a sports experience befitting one of the world’s great universities. It will be the preeminent site to take in a college football game as well as a gathering space for all ages. The new Ryan Field and plazas will:
And, with USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten, the new stadium will help showcase Northwestern University to an even broader and more global audience.
Yes, the new Ryan Field and plazas will be built to exceed all ADA requirements for accessibility by all. The new stadium will apply Universal Design standards and will set a new standard for accessibility and inclusivity, making it among the most accessible stadiums in the country.
No. Zero taxpayer dollars are needed to build and maintain the new Ryan Field and plazas.
Yes, the new Ryan Field and plazas will be built to LEED gold certification.
Tripp Umbach, a nationally recognized economist, estimates cumulative impacts over the life of the project to be over $659.9 million in economic impact to the City of Evanston. The design, planning, and construction will support 2,900+ jobs and generate $12 million in direct fees to Evanston. You can learn more by downloading our economic impact report.
As a vast improvement over the current stadium, the new, modern design will feature a state-of-the-art canopy that will better contain crowd noise and curtail lighting impacts.
No. According to Evanston’s city code, no standing or parked motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of eight thousand (8,000) pounds or greater shall be allowed to idle on any public street, public place, or private property for more than a total of five minutes within a sixty-minute period except under specific circumstances. The new Ryan Field will include an underground loading dock for concert equipment trucks.
The way Ryan Field is laid out now, fans are forced to tailgate well beyond the footprint of the stadium. The new plazas in the new Ryan Field will create an organized and well-defined space for pre-game activities.