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 Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois is known as the “Wrigley
Field” of college football. The only
reason is probably because it is old – certainly not because they sell out
every game. For a while now, NU has
been calling themselves Chicago’s Big Show.
Yet, there are no Northwestern signs in Chicago bars and very little
marketing attempting to get Chicagoans to ride the “el” train north for a
Wildcat game. Northwestern is true
Big Ten football. It’s the real deal,
especially lately. Northwestern has
made five bowls in the last ten years and has played the role of spoiler very
well. Ryan Field (formally Dyche
Stadium) is set in the first city north of Chicago and it rests a few short
blocks from Lake Michigan. The
setting is lovely and deserves a better rap.
Admittedly, the fans decked in purple are often found in the parking
lot tailgating with wine and cheese (not exactly power food), but that is
part of the quaint charm of this place.
The fans are definitely fair weather.
Sellouts are usually the cause of other fans traveling and filling a
third of the stadium. But,
Northwestern can pull its own weight.
Despite being the nerd of the Big Ten, they know their sports and
cheer well. Before the game, one of
Northwestern’s traditions is the Wildcat Alley where families can play games
and tailgate “responsibly.” The
touchdown terrace provides the same service after the game. During the game, “Go U Northwestern” can be heard ringing from the pint size
student section and if you are the visiting team, the song will drive you to
distraction. The students aren’t much
in number, but remember, this is Northwestern – whatever is missing in number
they make up in brainpower. I
remember an NU alum telling me of a chant they whipped up against Iowa. The Hawkeyes were drubbing the Wildcats at
the time and the students retaliated by chanting, “That’s alright! That’s okay! We’ll foreclose your farm someday!” Clever. Despite
Northwestern’s somewhat elite north shore status, the Wildcats have a great
team and Ryan Field is a fun place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Now, someone has to tell this all to
Chicago seeing that it is Chicago’s team and all.
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