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Wrigley Field completing transformation to host Northwestern football games

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Wrigley Field is no stranger to hosting college football games, and the iconic baseball venue is preparing for a special treat this season. That includes a pair of Northwestern home games to be played within the friendly confines as Ryan Field undergoes a major tear down and rebuilding project.

After playing select home games at Wrigley Field in the past, the Wildcats will host Ohio State (Nov. 16) and the season-ending rivalry vs. Illinois (Nov. 30) to complete their slate of home games. The games earlier in the season have been played at the temporary home stadium on the shores of Lake Michigan, but Wrigley Field was selected for the November schedule.

While Wrigley will not host its first game of the season until Week 12, preparation for the venue is already underway. As of Thursday, the yard lines are laid out with painted end zones, midfield logo and B1G logos complete.

Here’s how things look with just over a week to go:

While playing in a historical stadium like Wrigley is cool, the challenges of a baseball venue are worth pointing out. The conditions in the past have not been optimal, including a near-sinkhole on the goal line for one game involving Iowa.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz referenced the “sand pit” and other concerns from Iowa’s win at Wrigley in 2023. Those concerns included a tight margin between the back of one end zone and the brick walls of Wrigley.

“I’m just glad none of our players had to like a 9-route down that far corner down there,” said Ferentz about the end zone. “You drive into Chicago, you’ve got all these malpractice attorneys advertising the billboards. I think six of them were seated right up there and they were going to give out business cards if anyone hit that wall… It’s cool to be in a historic place… It’s all cool, but I’d rather buy a ticket.”

Another concern for teams in Wrigley has been that teams have regularly been forced to share a sideline due to the setup. That creates some logistical and substitution issues for both teams involved, and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema referenced those during the offseason.

According to Bielema, he was “reassured” that Illinois and Northwestern would not be on the same sideline, and it sounds like that would be the same case for Ohio State. He also claimed he loves Wrigley but is mainly concerned about the logistics in play.

“It’s unrealistic,” said Bielema about sharing a sideline. “It changes the game, it’s too many nuances within a week and can be easily avoided, so there’s no reason to do it.”

We’ll see how the latest installments of the Wrigley Field games turn out this year, especially for an Ohio State team looking to stay healthy and reach the College Football Playoff this season.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.