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    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7655333\/2026\/10\/03\/northwestern-new-stadium-ryan-field-penn-state\/?source=athletic_moneycall_newsletter&campaign=20056796&userId=16438468",
    "parsed_content": "EVANSTON, Ill. \u2014 In America, officials for new sports stadiums often pay lip service to fan amenities while constantly tugging at their wallets.Personal seat licenses, $25 beers and even more expensive food options leave patrons wondering whether they should punt on the in-stadium experience and enjoy their comfy recliner, cheap cold beer and a clean nearby bathroom at home.Those debates are sure to continue as the NFL unveils a new state-of-the-art building every couple of years. However, fans of all sizes in Chicago\u2019s North Shore matter at the $875 million Ryan Field, which debuted Friday night in Northwestern\u2019s 34-13 win against Penn State.Northwestern opens new $875 million Ryan FieldScott DochtermanThe sightlines are impeccable, with amazing views from the highest chairback next to the scoreboard, 136 feet from the action, to the club seats, which are just 48 feet from the field.The food options are the best in college football, bar none, and every concession area along the concourse is positioned so that fans can stand in line without missing live action. Pregame tailgating once you enter the stadium area features designated areas for students, families, traditional fans and the business community.In short, it\u2019s an only 35,000-seat stadium that has something for everybody, which is not only rare but borderline impossible. However, there\u2019s one area in particular where the Ryan family, the Northwestern mega-donors who footed the bill for the new venue, changed the stadium game.\u201cWe asked our students, \u2018What do you want?\u2019\u2009\u201d Pat Ryan Jr. said. \u201cAnd they\u2019re like, \u2018Well, we want to have a fun party, and we want to matter in the outcome.\u2019\u2009\u201dEnter the Wildcat Wall, a block of 2,000 standing placeholders instead of seats directly behind the southeast end zone destined to become the best student section in America. The entire section was sold out in two hours. With no place to sit, students stand on aluminum bleachers that create the rumbling sound of thunder and deliver energy unlike anything witnessed at the old Ryan Field, which sat on the same site.Ryan walked in front of the students around 30 minutes before kickoff, looked over at a reporter and said, \u201cDoes it feel like a Northwestern football game?\u201d Students waved at Ryan as he passed, and he acknowledged them with a \u201cLet\u2019s Go Cats!\u201d The Wildcat Wall worked out better than he expected.\u201cWe need a force multiplier because we\u2019re the smallest student body in the Big Ten,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cYou\u2019re not allowed to have noise makers in college football, but you\u2019re allowed to stomp on your seats.\u201dPainted in purple with a large wiped-out \u2018N\u2019 across his midsection, Joseph Trevisani was fired up for his first experience at the Wildcat Wall. The section was full more than an hour before kickoff.\u201cIt is absolutely fantastic,\u201d said Trevisani, a freshman from Spain. \u201cThis wall is looking right down on the field. We\u2019re going to be electric.\u201dThat was an understatement. The visiting locker room is located behind the Wildcat Wall, which means opponents must walk through the tunnel alongside the students multiple times. When Penn State\u2019s players left the field after pregame warmups, the jeering from Northwestern\u2019s students reached 100 decibels. During the second half, the combined sound of stomping and cheering sent the readings to 110 decibels.\u201cI didn\u2019t really have any expectations because I don\u2019t really enjoy football that much,\u201d said Kaitlyn Hernandez, a sophomore from Miami, Fla. \u201cBut coming here, I had a really good time.\u201d\n Northwestern students packed the Wildcat Wall, turning the standing-only student section into a unique source of energy.Scott Dochterman \/ The AthleticFor average fans, ticket price, seat location and amenities top the list of in-stadium priorities. Northwestern was self-aware enough to know a new stadium wouldn\u2019t turn it into a Chicagoland attraction on the level of the Bears or Bulls. The cheapest tickets start at $25 and go up to $100, not including premium selections. Every seat has a chairback, and only the seats near the top are a slightly steep climb. But they still offer a good view of the field.Once you scan your ticket to enter the facility, you\u2019re met with tailgating options and a food selection that puts every other Big Ten stadium to shame, with a steep drop to No. 2. The only aroma to match the smell hovering over the northwest corner came from the tailgating lots outside the stadium.Inside the main gate resides the Taste of Chicago, a collection of the city\u2019s finest establishments. It includes Frontera Tacos y Tortas by Rick Bayless; Goatdown by Stephanie Izard; Gibson\u2019s Tavern and Luxbar Grill from Gibson\u2019s Restaurant Group; The Medallion and Dimmi Baby. Gibson\u2019s gave away lobster rolls and sliders for opening night. Bayless showed up to hand out his world-famous tacos.Nobody else in the Big Ten has this type of food.Plenty more unique options are inside the facility. A corn roaster highlighted the southwest tailgating area, and the offerings there will vary by game. Next week\u2019s game against Ball State will feature an Oktoberfest theme with grilled brats. Inside the stadium, fans had options from 11 different Evanston or Wilmette restaurants. One concessionaire offered a $4.99 menu for hot dogs (sans ketchup), cheeseburgers, nachos, pretzels and popcorn when ordered through an app.Elevators are everywhere, and the 22 steps from the second to the third level feel like a trip up and down your basement stairs. And if you want to stop halfway, there\u2019s a drink rail.A pregame DJ welcomes students and fans entering through the Purple Line, a concourse named after the train heading to Evanston. To the stadium\u2019s southeast is a grassy area to play cornhole and other tailgating games. Inside the stadium\u2019s footprint, two club areas with bistro seating are located on opposite corners of the south end zone.DELMOSU81% Picked19% Picked529 votesBefore and during the game, fans congregated in those spots, and it was the most relaxed atmosphere I\u2019ve witnessed covering college football. It felt more like a Major League Baseball game.Although the marching band didn\u2019t perform during pregame so that a video homage to the Ryan family could air, the band ran multiple routines outside the stadium and stayed active throughout the game. The in-game musical choices provided a nice mix of traditional marching band numbers with raucous stadium music.\n \n \n \n \n What You Should Read Next\n \n \n \n \n Mississippi State has a tradition so loud the SEC once banned it: A story of cowbells\n \n \n Mississippi State sought a world record Saturday for the most cowbells rung at once: 41,819, certified by Elite World Records.\n \n \n \n \n \n The only knock was the swaths of empty seats near the 50-yard line, directly in front of the J.P. Morgan Club. Many patrons with those tickets stayed in the club socializing during the game.Every Northwestern sports team is featured with a panel photo, including the dynastic women\u2019s lacrosse team. In a delightful nod to Northwestern\u2019s Big Ten roots, cartoons from decades-old game posters and ticket stubs are painted on the walls along with murals of the football program\u2019s greatest teams.\u201cPrior to coming here, the communication was amazing,\u201d said Jim Farrell, a season-ticket holder from Lake Forest, Ill. \u201cYou got emails with like videos saying, \u2018Here\u2019s what to do. Download the app and show me what to do.\u2019 Then you get off the train, and there\u2019s people with like signs saying, \u2018How can I help you?\u2019 And they ask about what you want to do, which is amazing.\u201cI feel like they thought of everything. I\u2019d say so far it\u2019s been like a home run.\u201dFrom the proximity to the action to the sightlines, the new Ryan Field is more like an NBA arena than a big-time college football stadium. The canopy that surrounds the top of the stadium provides European football flair and protection from the elements; only the lowest three rows of seats were affected by the constant rain earlier this week. And the Wildcat Wall is the smartest addition in recent stadium history.The days of waltzing up to Ryan Field, buying a face-value ticket and wearing opposing colors to take over the stadium have ended. Rival fans might approach the number of tickets sold, but they won\u2019t match the sound.The Big Ten\u2019s smallest undergraduate population has formed, as former Wildcats defensive lineman and current pro wrestler Joe Spivak said Friday night, \u201cthe craziest, most cerebral, most out-of-your-mind student section known to mankind.\u201dAnd that is far better than being known for the old self-deprecating and condescending cheer of \u201cThat\u2019s all right, that\u2019s OK, you\u2019ll come work for us someday.\u201d\nScott Dochterman is a staff writer for The Athletic covering national college football and the Big Ten. He previously covered Iowa athletics for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Land of 10.Follow Oct 7, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports termsPlay today's puzzleWhat did you think of this story?MEHSOLIDAWESOME"
}