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Ryan Field

Ryan Field in Evanston, IL. Capacity 47,130. Opened 1926.

Capacity
47,130
Opened
1926
Surface
Grass
Roof
Open air
Elevation
595 ft
College GameDay
twice

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2001 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Ryan Field by season, 2001 to 202310k20k30k40k50k2001: 32,801 a game over 4 games; biggest 40,1032002: 28,032 a game over 6 games; biggest 43,4892003: 28,763 a game over 6 games; biggest 40,6812004: 28,408 a game over 6 games; biggest 47,1302005: 32,527 a game over 6 games; biggest 47,1302006: 27,996 a game over 6 games; biggest 47,1302007: 25,446 a game over 7 games; biggest 46,6042008: 28,590 a game over 7 games; biggest 47,1302009: 24,190 a game over 7 games; biggest 32,1502010: 36,449 a game over 6 games; biggest 47,1302011: 33,442 a game over 6 games; biggest 47,3302012: 35,697 a game over 7 games; biggest 47,3302013: 39,307 a game over 7 games; biggest 47,3302014: 38,613 a game over 7 games; biggest 47,3302015: 33,366 a game over 7 games; biggest 44,1352016: 34,798 a game over 7 games; biggest 42,0162017: 35,853 a game over 7 games; biggest 41,0612018: 43,873 a game over 7 games; biggest 47,3302019: 37,736 a game over 7 games; biggest 47,3302021: 30,679 a game over 6 games; biggest 38,1412022: 28,697 a game over 6 games; biggest 42,7742023: 20,800 a game over 6 games; biggest 25,06420012006201120162021

Biggest crowds on file

47,330Ohio State at Northwestern2019
47,330Notre Dame at Northwestern2018
47,330Wisconsin at Northwestern2018
47,330Nebraska at Northwestern2018
47,330Michigan at Northwestern2018

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

College GameDay here

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from Ryan Field twice, first in 2010.

Oct 5, 2013Ohio State 40, Northwestern 30The Lakefill on the banks of Lake Michigan
Nov 20, 2010Illinois 48, Northwestern 27Wrigley Field

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of College GameDay locations (CC BY-SA).

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Snow at kickoff

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database).

Recent games here

Nov 18, 2023Northwestern 23, Purdue 15
Oct 28, 2023Northwestern 33, Maryland 27
Oct 7, 2023Northwestern 23, Howard 20
Sep 30, 20236Penn State 41, Northwestern 13
Sep 23, 2023Northwestern 37, Minnesota 34
Sep 9, 2023Northwestern 38, UTEP 7
Nov 26, 2022Illinois 41, Northwestern 3
Nov 5, 20222Ohio State 21, Northwestern 7
Oct 8, 2022Wisconsin 42, Northwestern 7
Sep 24, 2022Miami (OH) 17, Northwestern 14
Sep 17, 2022Southern Illinois 31, Northwestern 24
Sep 10, 2022Duke 31, Northwestern 23