The Wildcats are nearing the grand opening of their $862 million football stadium.
It's all coming together in Evanston.
Just over seven months ahead of the nearly billion-dollar football stadium's grand opening, Northwestern surpassed another milestone in the construction of the New Ryan Field. The very first seats were installed in the 200s level on Tuesday afternoon, according to Front Office Sports reporter Colin Salao.
Salao shared videos on X (formerly Twitter) of the stadium's construction progress, including the monumental moment when workers secured the seats.
He also included two clips showing the first view of the "Purple Wall," where the Northwestern student section is set to reside.
Northwestern's ambitious project has been nearly half a decade in the making. The university demolished Ryan Field following the 2023 football season, marking the end of the Wildcats' 97-year run at the corner of Ashland and Central Street. NU's final football game at its longtime home was a 23-15 win over Purdue, which clinched a bowl game berth just one season after finishing 1-11.
The New Ryan Field is set to downsize the 'Cats' capacity from roughly 47,000 fans to 35,000. It will be the smallest football stadium in the Big Ten by far, which the administration is promoting as a more intimate experience with "better than TV" views. The closest seats are set to be just 90 feet away from the action, while the furthest will only be 136 feet away.
Northwestern's pricetag for the project has risen from $850 million to $862 million since construction began. It is privately funded by Pat Ryan, the university's largest donor and the stadium's namesake.
Although the outer shell of Ryan Field is largely in place and construction crews have already begun installing the seating, Northwestern's new stadium will not be ready for the start of the 2026 college football season, as originally planned. The Wildcats announced on Feb. 3 that they would instead play their first two games at Martin Stadium off the shore of Lake Michigan — where Northwestern has hosted home games for the last two seasons — and open the New Ryan Field against Penn State on Oct. 2.
Northwestern kicks off its 2026 season at home against South Dakota State (Sep. 5) and Colorado (Sep. 19) before facing Indiana (Sep. 26) on the road. When the 'Cats host the Nittany Lions in Week 5, the game will be played 100 years to the day after the original opening of the former Ryan Field (then named Northwestern Stadium).
The Wildcats are seeking their third winning season in four years under David Braun this fall.