Sports

Northwestern's Ryan Field nearly ready for Penn State's inaugural visit

Penn State Nittany Lions On SI · Jul 21, 2026 23:43 · 3 min read

Northwestern's Ryan Field Nearly Ready for Penn State's Inaugural Visit — The Northwestern Wildcats run onto the field before their game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ryan Field. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Wildcats will debut their new stadium in October, when they host the Nittany Lions.

Penn State isn't the only Big Ten program undertaking a massive stadium project. In fact, the Nittany Lions will help open the conference's newest stadium in October, an $875 million venue that is getting early rave reviews.

Northwestern University has been slowly unveiling its new Ryan Field, the privately funded, 35,000-seat campus stadium scheduled to open this season. The Wildcats chose Penn State as the their debut opponent Oct. 2, a Friday-night game that FOX will broadcast live.

Reporters have toured the new facility on Northwestern's Evanston, Illinois, campus, calling it among the nation's most breathtaking new venues. Some have even compared it to a Premier League soccer venue.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the venue's cost has increased to $875 million, about $13 million than originally budget, because of inflation and weather delays. That's worth noting, since Penn State is one year from completing its budgeted $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium, which remains on schedule for a 2027 debut. However, Penn State has not addressed publicly whether the three-year renovation has gone, or will go, over budget.

Northwestern privately funded the entire Ryan Field project. The university recently installed the turf playing surface at Ryan Field, which is about 12,000 seats smaller than the previous venue. Northwestern has said the new Ryan Field "will be the preeminent site to watch college

football games..."

The new Ryan Field stands on the same site as the former stadium. In addition to seating fewer people, the stadium is 30 feet shorter than the original Ryan Field. Northwestern said Ryan Field also features a "state-of-the-art canopy that will help contain crowd noise and lights."

Penn State will be the first to test Ryan Field's noise levels Oct. 2 in its second Big Ten game of the season. The Nittany Lions agreed to adjust their schedule to accommodate a Friday-night road game after opening the conference slate the week prior at home vs. Wisconsin. The date is significant, as it represents the 100th anniversary of when Northwestern Stadium, Ryan Field's predecessor, hosted its first football game.

"The opening of the new Ryan Field marks a defining moment for Northwestern Football and reflects our continued investment in excellence across every aspect of the program," Northwestern Athletics Director Mark Jackson said in a statement. "The opener against Penn State presented by FOX Sports provides us with an extraordinary stage to showcase the incredible stadium and the culture that Head Coach David Braun has established."

Penn State still has painful memories of its last game vs. Northwestern. The Wildcats visited Beaver Stadium last October at the most critical juncture of Penn State's season, on the heels of a two-game Nittany Lions losing streak.

Northwestern made it three, as quarterback Preston Stone led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, lifting the Wildcats to a 22-21 victory. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar sustained a season-ending injury during the game, and head coach James Franklin was fired the following day.

Northwestern is scheduled to play its first three games of the season at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, the temporary home of Wildcats football for the past two years. The Wildcats visit Indiana on Sept. 25 before hosting Penn State.

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