Northwestern partners with Rebuilding Exchange to preserve Ryan Field memorabilia

Demolition teams are busy breaking down Ryan Field to make way for a new state-of-the-art facility. But there is plenty of the stadium’s 97-year history to go around.

Northwestern has partnered with Rebuilding Exchange, an Evanston and Chicago-based nonprofit that reduces construction waste, reuses building materials and provides workforce training in the building trades, to save key pieces of the stadium for Wildcat fans, alumni and collectors.

Stadium seats, branded seat backers, signage, banners, equipment, storage units and more can be purchased through Rebuilding Exchange. All profits go to support the organization’s mission.

“We often talk about win-win outcomes when it comes to Evanston and Northwestern,” said Dave Davis, the University’s senior executive director of Neighborhood and Community Relations. “And this is a perfect example of an opportunity to join forces and do right in many ways at once. Rebuilding Exchange helps reduce waste, while the partnership illustrates our commitment to sustainable practices and enables us to offer unique items to Wildcat fans who want to show their Purple Pride.”

We’re now determined to get as many Evanston residents employed into the building trades, and onto the Rebuild Ryan Field project, as possible.”

The sale is part of an agreement between Rebuilding Exchange and Northwestern.

In Fall 2023, the University announced a $200,000 investment in Rebuilding Exchange to facilitate the recruitment of Evanston residents into workforce training programs, emphasizing Northwestern’s dedication to creating economic opportunities for the local community and supporting minority-owned, woman-owned and local businesses. Workers trained by the organization had a hand in the ongoing deconstruction of Ryan Field.

Rebuilding Exchange’s deconstruction crew, made up of about a dozen participants in their Workforce Training Program, spent a week carefully removing and salvaging as many of these historic materials as possible, with the support of experienced site supervisors.

“Through this model, our crew was able to gain invaluable on-the-job experience working on an active construction site, help divert hundreds of items from going to landfills, and play an active role in the history of Evanston,” said Aina Gutierrez, executive director of Rebuilding Exchange. “We’re now determined to get as many Evanston residents employed into the building trades, and onto the Rebuild Ryan Field project, as possible.”

On March 6, Rebuilding Exchange and the University hosted a construction career information session for those interested in work opportunities on the Ryan Field project, with over 70 attendees participating to learn about how they can get involved.

Demolition of Ryan Field began in February and is expected to continue through May. Last month, the University launched an updated Rebuild Ryan Field website to provide project milestones and updates throughout the project.