Today, I caught the Northwestern football spring game at Ryan Field in Evanston, IL. The historic stadium (formerly known as Dyche Stadium) opened in 1926 and was once considered for the home of the Chicago Bears after they moved out of Wrigley Field. That was nearly 40 years ago! The fact that the stadium is still home of the Wildcats is rather amazing. As wealthy of a school as Northwestern, you would think that the team would have moved into a new, fancy stadium with state of the art amenities. The current stadium is small with cracks in the concrete and a serious need of a paint job. Perhaps, the school is a bit sentimental. And that is not a bad thing. Not at all.
For the most part, a spring game is really a practice open to the public. Sure, the players run plays but it’s hard to determine how their performances will translate to an actual game. It’s more for the fans and getting them excited about the upcoming season. And with the aid of the band, cheerleaders, and purple clad fans, it accomplished that with me. Hey, it might not be the Tigers or SEC football, but it’s still college football!
Ryan field is not located on campus. Instead, it resides right in a neighborhood. I love that! If one day the Wildcats do decide to leave Ryan Field, I hope the stadium will still be used for years to come. Perhaps, high school football championships?
Below, you can see the stadium at the end of the residential street:
However, I’m hoping the move never happens. I say let the tradition continue!
Photo set here.