Northwestern's new Ryan Field opens Friday night, October 2, with the 2-0 Wildcats hosting the 3-0, No. 13-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions at 8 p.m. ET. The privately funded venue cost $875 million, called the world's most expensive college sports-only stadium.

Capacity is 35,000, the smallest in the Big Ten, replacing the old field's 47,000 seats. Every seat is a contoured chair with armrests and a cupholder, and the worst seat is about 136 feet from the sidelines. Coach David Braun, fresh off a contract extension and pay raise, called it the best venue in football.

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly praised the cantilevered roof, which traps crowd noise and shelters fans. Construction, funded largely by the Ryan family, followed a contested zoning process in Evanston before demolition began in February 2024.

Northwestern opened 2-0 with wins over South Dakota State (34-18) and Colorado (41-7) at the temporary 12,000-capacity lakeside venue, Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. The Colorado win was the lakefront finale, and the team went 8-4 there overall.

The stadium also debuts Chicago sports' first $5 menu: hot dog, cheeseburger, nachos, popcorn or pretzel at $4.99 each via the app, with AI checkout everywhere.