The shores of Lake Michigan were captivated by a new phenomenon on Saturdays this fall. Chants, cheers and marching band music filled the air as a purple wave took over the Evanston lakefront. The Wildcats debuted a temporary stadium, Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, which will house the team until the new Ryan Field opens in 2026.
City Council member Clare Kelly said the temporary stadium was well-received overall and its footprint on the community was mostly unproblematic, since it’s also in the middle of Northwestern’s campus, next to the Kellogg Global Hub.
However, Kelly said the one issue that arose was fans parking on residential streets, especially across Sheridan Road on campus. She represents Evanston’s First Ward, which includes those neighborhoods.
“It was mitigated as time went on with the games,” Kelly said. “It definitely impacted neighborhoods, but not to an extent that it was a serious problem. It hasn’t been that severe that it’s outweighed the positive response and reception from residents.”
City Council Member Eleanor Revelle said Evanston also benefited economically from the Wildcats staying in town for most of the regular season. The stadium itself falls within the bounds of Evanston’s Seventh Ward, which is represented by Revelle.
After much speculation about whether or not Northwestern would play at a venue outside the city, Revelle said it was a relief when the team announced it would still host five home games in Evanston.
“At the very beginning, we didn’t know where they were gonna have their games this year,” Revelle said. “If they didn’t have any games in Evanston, it would be an economic loss for the city. It’s an economic benefit to the city to have at least some games in the city.”
The City of Evanston has a 9% athletic contest and exhibitions attendance tax, as well as a 3% athletic contest and exhibitions tax. That revenue would have been lost if it wasn’t for the temporary stadium.
Moreover, an on-campus venue was a massive upside for the student experience. Wildside is the official student fan club and boasts more than 5,000 members, representing over half of the university’s undergraduate population.
Even though only two out of the five games played at the lakefront happened while class was in session due to Northwestern’s quarter system starting later in the year, both contests enjoyed an electric student section.
Eliav Brooks-Rubin is a sophomore at Northwestern and Wildside’s Gameday Chair, meaning he’s in charge of engaging the student section during, and leading up to, games.
“It turned out pretty phenomenally,” Brooks-Rubin said. “The game day experience was pretty epic. It’s nice having a stadium right on campus, right on the lake. To be able to walk up on campus was lovely. The stadium was designed well, all the amenities were good.”
Northwestern Medicine Field’s capacity of 12,023 may seem small in comparison to other Big Ten schools, but that created an exciting environment that wasn’t present in the past, since it was often a struggle to fill 47,000 seats at the old Ryan Field. The student body was incredibly motivated to show up, and Northwestern football games became a prime event due to a much stronger on-campus presence.
Dylan Friedland is a Northwestern senior and director of communications and marketing for Wildside.
“In terms of actually promoting the games, it kinda made our job easier because there was so much demand for students to go in the first place that we didn’t really need a big push to convince people to go,” Friedland said. “People wanted to go.“
Decked out in purple for the matchups against Indiana and Wisconsin, the student section was completely full on both occasions.
For a school with an undergraduate enrollment hovering below 9,000 that’s accustomed to being outnumbered by larger Big Ten fanbases, this was a prime opportunity to establish a home-field advantage. Placed behind the north end zone and mere feet from Lake Michigan, students enjoyed a unique game day experience that no other university can offer.
“The fact that the students were on the north side was awesome, because we got that incredible view of downtown Chicago,” Friedland said. “I really enjoyed it. It was an incredible experience. I think that next year it will almost be even better.”
The Wildcats may have posted a 2-3 record at Northwestern Medicine Field, but the temporary stadium was a resounding success. From the Lakeside Gameday tailgates and watch parties, to the sellout crowds, Northwestern fans will be glad to see it return in 2025.
Northwestern finishes up its season with a final home game at Wrigley Field Saturday, Nov. 30, vs. in-state rival Illinois. While the new Ryan Field may not have arrived, Northwestern football has been able to keep the show going.
In first season, NU’s temporary football stadium mostly a hit is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.