Northwestern is preparing for an unforgettable first game at New Ryan Field, with an F-16 flyover, the Wildcat Wall and several opening-night festivities planned before Friday’s matchup against Penn State.
After years of anticipation, New Ryan Field is finally ready for football.
Northwestern will officially open its new home Friday night against Penn State, and the first looks inside the stadium have only added to the excitement surrounding one of the biggest nights in program history.
From the field and locker rooms to the student section and overall design, there is plenty that immediately stands out about the new stadium.
And Northwestern is not stopping there.
The Wildcats are planning several opening-night festivities to make the first game at New Ryan Field feel even bigger.
Before kickoff, an F-16 flyover is scheduled to be conducted by the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard. The pregame ceremonies will also include a full-field American flag held by more than 100 members of the Evanston community.
Ian Rucker, an alumnus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, is also scheduled to perform the national anthem.
It should create quite an introduction to Northwestern’s new home before the Wildcats and Nittany Lions even take the field.
Once the game starts, another highly anticipated feature will get its first true test: the Wildcat Wall.
Northwestern created a European soccer-inspired safe-standing student section behind the south end zone. The section holds approximately 2,000 students and rises at a steep 33-degree angle, putting the students extremely close to the action.
The entire stadium was designed with that type of atmosphere in mind.
New Ryan Field holds approximately 35,000 fans, and its 360-degree canopy was designed not only to protect fans from the weather but also to help trap crowd noise inside the stadium. The furthest seat is approximately 150 feet from the field, creating a much more intimate environment than the old Ryan Field.
That could make Friday night loud. Even some of the smaller details have generated attention.
Northwestern’s new home locker room has been described by players as having an NFL-style feel. The visiting locker room is much more basic, and its location near the student section could add another interesting wrinkle to the home-field advantage.
The standing student section itself should also be something to watch. Instead of traditional seats, the Wildcat Wall uses safe-standing bleachers with railings, allowing students to remain on their feet and create noise throughout the game.
There are simply a lot of new things to be excited about.
New food options, new locker rooms, a completely different student section, closer sightlines and a stadium specifically designed to create a louder environment will all make their football debut Friday.
Now comes the most important part: seeing how everything works with a full crowd inside.
Northwestern has spent years preparing for this night. The program has played away from its traditional home while construction continued, and players finally practiced inside New Ryan Field for the first time this past weekend.
There will naturally be plenty to learn during the first major sporting event inside a brand-new venue, but Northwestern deserves credit for the amount of thought that has gone into making opening night feel special.
The opponent only adds to it.
Penn State comes to Evanston for a primetime Big Ten matchup on FOX, giving Northwestern a major opponent and national audience for the beginning of a new era. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
From the F-16 flyover before kickoff to the first roar from the Wildcat Wall, Friday will be about much more than just unveiling a new football field.
It will be the first opportunity to see what a real Northwestern game day looks and sounds like inside New Ryan Field.
After years of renderings, construction updates and anticipation, the wait is finally almost over.
