Northwestern unveils playing surface at New Ryan Field as October opening nears

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University has reached another milestone in the construction of New Ryan Field.

What they're saying:

The stadium's playing surface is now installed as work continues ahead of its scheduled opening this fall.

"The field's in, they're seasoning it now, but in a few weeks you can play a game there," Pat Ryan Jr., CEO of Ryan Sports Development, said during a tour of the stadium. "You just need hard hats instead of football helmets."

Ryan said the project remains on schedule despite a winter and spring marked by rain, snow and cold weather.

"When we broke ground, we said mid-September, we'd start to do the soft-open events, and we'd open in early October. We're on time for that," Ryan said.

He added that more than 1,100 workers are currently on-site to keep construction moving toward the Wildcats' scheduled Oct. 2 opener against Penn State.

The new Ryan Field will seat about 35,000 fans — fewer than the previous stadium — but Ryan said the design prioritizes the fan experience with expanded gathering spaces, a steep European-inspired student section and a canopy that covers every seat.

"The idea that there's not a bad seat in the house is a cliché," Ryan said. "But when you come here, you say, actually, every seat is a great seat."

Watch the full interview with Ryan Jr. at the top of this story.

NorthwesternSportsNews