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New Ryan Field reaches major milestone with playing surface installed
Northwestern officials on Tuesday unveiled the newly installed playing surface at New Ryan Field as construction continues ahead of the stadium's scheduled Oct. 2 opening against Penn State.
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.
The Source: The information in this story came from an interview with Ryan Sports Development CEO Pat Ryan Jr.