Ryan Field (stadium)

Ryan Field
View from northeast corner in 2006
Evanston is located in the United States
Evanston
Evanston
Location in the United States
Evanston is located in Illinois
Evanston
Evanston
Location in Illinois
Former namesDyche Stadium (1926–1996)
Location1501 Central Street
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.[1]
Coordinates42°3′56″N 87°41′33″W / 42.06556°N 87.69250°W / 42.06556; -87.69250
OwnerNorthwestern University
OperatorNorthwestern University
Capacity47,130 (1997–2023)

Former capacity

List
    • 48,187 (1996)
    • 49,256 (1982–1995)
    • 48,500 (1975–1981)
    • 55,000 (1954–1974)
    • 52,000 (1949–1953)
    • 47,000 (1927–1934)
    • 25,000 (1926)
SurfaceGrass: 1997–2023
Astroturf: 1973–1996
Grass: 1926–1972
Construction
Broke groundApril 8, 1926[2]
OpenedOctober 2, 1926 (1926-10-02)[5]
Renovated1996
Expanded1949, 1952
ClosedNovember 25, 2023 (2023-11-25)
DemolishedJanuary 29, 2024 (started)
Construction cost$2.6 million (original)[3]
($44.7 million in 2023[4])
1996 renovation:
$20 million
ArchitectJames Gamble Rogers[1]
General contractorJ. B. French Construction Company[1]
Tenants
Northwestern Wildcats (NCAA) (1926–2023)
Website
nusports.com/ryan-field

Ryan Field was a stadium in the central United States, located in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. Near the campus of Northwestern University, it was primarily used for American football, and was the home field of the Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference. Before its demolition in 2024, it was the only FBS stadium without permanent lighting, and its final seating capacity was 47,130. The stadium closed at the end of the 2023 season, and preparation for demolition began on January 29, 2024 to make way for a new Ryan Field on the site. On April 17th, 2024, Ryan Field was fully demolished after 97 years of Northwestern Wildcats football.[6]

Opened 98 years ago in 1926, it was named Dyche Stadium for William Dyche, class of 1882, Evanston mayor from 1895 to 1899 and overseer of the building project.[7] The stadium was renamed Ryan Field in 1997 in honor of the family of Aon Corporation founder Patrick G. Ryan,[8] who was then the chairman of Northwestern's board of trustees. The renaming was made by the other members of the board in recognition of the Ryan family's leadership and numerous contributions to Northwestern, including the lead gift to the Campaign for Athletic Excellence, Northwestern's fundraising drive for athletic facilities.

  1. ^ a b c "Ryan Field". Ballparks.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  2. ^ "Northwestern Starts Work on New $1,000,000 Stadium". Chicago Daily Tribune. April 8, 1926. p. 26. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  3. ^ "Northwestern's New Field Named Dyche Stadium". Chicago Tribune. October 28, 1926. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  4. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ LaTourette, Larry (2005). Northwestern Wildcat Football. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 0-7385-3433-1. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  6. ^ "Ryan Field demolition set to begin the week of Jan. 29". Northwestern Now. Northwestern University. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Pope, Ben. "Football: Northwestern and Ryan Field’s near-ascendency into college football glory," The Daily Northwestern (Northwestern University), Tuesday, November 22, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  8. ^ "Northwestern University Campus Maps: Ryan Field". maps.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-21.

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