- Ryan Field (stadium)
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For other uses, see Ryan Field (disambiguation).
Ryan Field 
Former names Dyche Stadium (1926–1996) Location 1501 Central Street
Evanston, IL 60201Coordinates 42°3′56″N 87°41′33″W / 42.06556°N 87.6925°WCoordinates: 42°3′56″N 87°41′33″W / 42.06556°N 87.6925°W Broke ground 1925 Opened October 2, 1926[1] Renovated 1996 Expanded 1949, 1952 Owner Northwestern University Operator Northwestern University Surface Grass 1926 to 1972
Astroturf 1973 to 1996
Grass 1997 to presentConstruction cost original: $2.6 million[2]
($32.3 million in 2011 dollars[3])
1996 renovation: US$20 MillionArchitect James Gamble Rogers Capacity 47,130 (1997-present)
48,187 (1996)
49,256 (1982-1995)
48,500 (1977-1981)
55,000 (1954-1976)
52,000 (1949-1953)
45,000 (1926-1948)Tenants Northwestern Wildcats (NCAA) (1926–present) Ryan Field is a stadium in Evanston, Illinois, United States. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Northwestern University Wildcats football team. The field opened in 1926 and holds 47,130 people. Prior to 1997, the stadium was named Dyche Stadium, for William Dyche, Class of 1882, former Evanston mayor and overseer of the building project. In 1997, the field was renamed Ryan Field in honor of the family of Patrick G. Ryan, who was then the chairman of Northwestern's board of trustees. The renaming was made by the other members of the board in recognition of the Ryan family's leadership and numerous contributions to Northwestern, including the lead gift to the Campaign for Athletic Excellence, Northwestern's fundraising drive for athletic facilities.
It is the smallest football stadium in the Big Ten Conference.
Contents
History
At the time it was constructed, Dyche Stadium was considered one of the finest college football stadiums in the country.[4] The stadium originally consisted of two semi-circular grandstands on either sideline, with the west (home) sideline having a small, curved upper deck whose 2 ends abut in matching concrete towers. The purpose of the curved grandstands was to maximize the number of fans sitting close to the action.[4] Endzone seating was later added in the south endzone, and in 1952 McGaw Memorial Hall was built beyond the north endzone.
The stadium had an artificial turf surface from 1973 to 1996. Prior to the 1997 season, natural grass was installed and the playing surface was lowered approximately five feet to improve sight lines from the lowest rows of the grandstands.
The Chicago Bears hosted their first home game of the 1970 season at Dyche Stadium as an experiment; the NFL had demanded that the Bears move out of Wrigley Field because Wrigley's seating capacity was under 50,000. After Evanston residents petitioned city officials to block the team from moving there permanently, the Bears ended up moving to Chicago's Soldier Field the following year.
Transportation
The closest transit stations are Metra commuter railroad's Central Street station and Chicago Transit Authority's Central station on the Purple Line.
Pedicab services are frequently available around the stadium during Wildcat home games.
In popular culture
Parts of The Express, a 2008 film about Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis starring Rob Brown as Davis, and Dennis Quaid as Davis' Syracuse coach, Ben Schwartzwalder, were filmed at Ryan Field.[5]
November 2006
November 2006Parts of Four Friends, a 1981 film directed by Arthur Penn, were filmed at Ryan Field.
References
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=z-zuPpvEMFAC&pg=PA35&sig=2uUq_t_PGBWa8FeDGqtMPXraYn0&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
- ^ http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/451523112.html?dids=451523112:451523112&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+28%2C+1926&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Northwestern's+New+Field+Named+Dyche+Stadium&pqatl=google
- ^ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ a b Jay Pridmore (2000). Northwestern University:celebrating 150 years. Northwestern University Press. p. 126.
- ^ "Bringing Hollywood to NU". http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2007/05/01/Campus/Bringing.Hollywood.To.Nu-2889824.shtml. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
External links
- Ryan Field - Northwestern Wildcats
- Ryan Field History, Northwestern University Archives, Evanston, Illinois
Northwestern University Academics Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences • School of Communication • Bienen School of Music • Kellogg School of Management • McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science • Medill School of Journalism • School of Education and Social Policy • Feinberg School of Medicine • Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary • School of Law • The Graduate School • School of Continuing StudiesResearch Argonne/Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center • Infrastructure Technology Institute • Journal of Criminal Law & CriminologyCampus Athletics Northwestern Wildcats • Big Ten • Football • Men's Basketball • NUMB • Women's Lacrosse • Softball • Patten Gymnasium • Rocky Miller Park • Ryan Field • Sweet Sioux Tomahawk • Land of Lincoln Trophy • Welsh-Ryan Arena • Willie the WildcatMedia Traditions People Football stadiums of the Big Ten Conference Legends Division Kinnick Stadium (Iowa) • Michigan Stadium (Michigan) • Spartan Stadium (Michigan State) • TCF Bank Stadium (Minnesota) • Memorial Stadium (Nebraska) • Ryan Field (Northwestern)
Leaders Division Memorial Stadium (Illinois) • Memorial Stadium (Indiana) • Ohio Stadium (Ohio State) • Beaver Stadium (Penn State) • Ross–Ade Stadium (Purdue) • Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin)
College football venues in Illinois Division I
FBSBig Ten Memorial Stadium (Illinois) • Ryan Field (Northwestern)
MAC Division I
FCSMissouri Valley OVC Division III CCIW Augustana Stadium/Ericson Field (Augustana) • Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium (North Central) • Frank M. Lindsay Field (Millikin) • Holmgren Athletic Complex (North Park) • Illinois Wesleyan Stadium (Illinois Wesleyan) • Langhorst Field (Elmhurst) • McCully Field (Wheaton)
Midwest Bobby Woll Memorial Field (Monmouth) • England Field (Illinois College) • Farwell Field (Lake Forest) • Knox Bowl (Knox)
Northern Cougar Stadium (Concordia) • Sam Greeley Field (Rockford) • Spartan Stadium (Aurora) • Sports Complex at Benedictine University (Benedictine)
UAA UMAC Francis Field (Greenville) • Freesen Field (MacMurray) • McKinzie Field (Eureka)
NAIA Mid-States Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field (Saint Xavier) • Joliet Memorial Stadium (St. Francis) • Leemon Field (McKendree) • Leslie A. Fraizer Field (Trinity International) • QU Stadium (Quincy) • Ward Field (Olivet Nazarene)
Wrigley Field Categories:- College football venues
- Northwestern Wildcats football venues
- American football venues in Illinois
- Chicago Bears stadiums
- Illinois sports venue stubs
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