EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — The new Ryan Field is taking shape in the north suburbs.
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The shell of the new Ryan Field is complete, and visitors can get an idea of what the view will be like from their seats.
Pat Ryan Jr. is the CEO of Ryan Sports Development. He has been overseeing the project.
His family has a huge stake in Ryan Field since they donated about $480 million of the $860 million needed to build the stadium.
Following the demolition of the old stadium, a new one has been constructed from scratch. The design includes rotating the stadium 25 degrees to provide room for spacious corners featuring large plazas.
Those plazas will be able to host everything from tailgate parties before games to ice skating and Christmas events in the winter.
READ MORE | Northwestern University breaks ground on new Ryan Field facility
Ryan says the new stadium will also be a great place to watch a football game or concert or any other event.
The 35,000-seat stadium is smaller and more cozy by design to compete with watching the game at home on TV.
The student section has been nicknamed “the purple wall.”
Ryan believes it is a vast improvement over the old stadium and of the temporary stadium the Wildcats have used on the lakefront.
He believes it will be among the first of a new wave of stadiums designed to improve the experience for fans.
“Having our name on it signifies our pledge that the promises made to the community must be fulfilled. The commitments made to the Northwestern community must also be honored,” he stated.
The project is running under budget and on time; in fact, they hope to open on time for Northwestern’s first home game next season.
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