Northwestern will open its new stadium under Friday night lights against Penn State on Oct. 2

By Canadian Press on February 3, 2026.

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern will open its new stadium under the Friday night lights against Penn State on Oct. 2 after playing two more games on the lakefront next season, the school announced Tuesday.

The Wildcats will host South Dakota State on Sept. 5 and Colorado two weeks later while construction on Ryan Field is completed. They will play five games in their new home starting with the matchup against Penn State, which will happen 100 years to the day that the original stadium on the same site opened.

“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,” athletic director Mark Jackson said.

The new Ryan Field will seat 35,000, down more than 12,000 from the old Ryan Field. It features a canopy designed to keep noise and light focused on the field and include cutting-edge technology and scoreboards, as well as concessions with food from local restaurants.

Northwestern has played home games the past two years at a temporary lakefront facility and at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

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The Associated Press