Northwestern will play a majority of its 2024 and 2025 house video games at a short lived construction on the Martin athletics facility close to Lake Michigan, the varsity introduced on Wednesday. Northwestern is within the means of demolishing Ryan Area — the soccer staff’s house for 98 years — to pave the best way for a brand new $800 million stadium that may open in 2026.
“I’m thrilled that we might make this occur. It is actually a win for our neighborhood,” Northwestern president Michael Schill mentioned within the launch. “Along with creating a beautiful fan expertise within the lead-up to the opening of Ryan Area, internet hosting video games on campus will scale back the journey burdens for our student-athletes and followers and can make video games far more accessible. We are also happy to maintain the financial advantages of soccer gamedays in Evanston.”
Development on the lakefront facility close to the Evansville campus will begin early this summer season, and it’ll stay in operation by way of the conclusion of the 2025 soccer season. Northwestern can also be in discussions with different Chicago-area venues to host a handful of soccer video games over the following two seasons.
“We speak on a regular basis about offering the final word student-athlete expertise, and preserving our staff on campus whereas offering a real house subject benefit accomplishes that mission,” Northwestern coach David Braun mentioned. “Throughout a interval of thrilling transition, enjoying in a venue that brings the Northwestern neighborhood collectively gives an ideal bridge to the brand new Ryan Area, and I am so excited in regards to the gameday expertise for our program and your complete Wildcat neighborhood.”
Northwestern completed the 2023 marketing campaign with a 7-5 report, which included a 14-7 win over Utah within the Las Vegas Bowl. Braun was named Northwestern’s interim coach lower than two months earlier than the beginning of the season after the varsity fired longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald in July 2023. Northwestern eliminated the interim tag, selling Braun to full-time coach on Nov. 15.
