Northwestern’s new lakefront facility will open soon. Here’s what you need to know.

Construction is well underway to get the expanded Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium ready for football gamedays. Construction of the temporary structure, which was announced in April, is expected to be completed by mid-August.

Currently, a crane is on site to replace lighting at the stadium. This will require closures and restrictions of the lakefront path near the athletic fields. Flaggers will re-route pedestrians around the Kellogg Global Hub.

Parking areas on the north side of campus will be impacted by construction. Campus Drive in front of the Walter Athletics Center will be closed on Monday, Aug. 12. Most of parking lot 122 will be closed to install temporary fencing and unload equipment from Monday, Aug. 12 to Thursday, Aug. 15.

The lakefill will close the night before gamedays

To prepare and secure both the playing field and tailgating areas at Hutcheson Field and the lakefill, Northwestern will close some parking lots and the lakefill area the night before. Parking lots will close at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, with the exception of Cook Hall lot, which will close at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29. Authorized personnel will begin towing remaining vehicles at 10 p.m. Signage will be posted in each lot indicating the closing dates and times. The lakefill will close at 10 p.m. the night before gamedays as well.

Northwestern students, staff and faculty should expect similar closures ahead of every home football game this season. There will be a Friday night game on Sept. 6, so the closures will take place starting at 10 p.m., Sept. 4 for the Cook Hall lot and 6 p.m. Sept. 5 for the remaining lots, with the lakefill closing at 10 p.m. and vehicles towed at that time. 

Northwestern is preparing for additional visitors and increased traffic on gamedays

Limited parking will be available on campus and in downtown Evanston garages on football gamedays for fans and guests. Gameday shuttle buses will be available for fans, guests and Northwestern community members who park downtown. Biking and public transportation are encouraged on gamedays.

In addition to football, Northwestern men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse also will continue to host home games at the field. The University is preparing for increased traffic and additional visitors to campus on all gamedays.  

Northwestern’s first home football game is at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31. The full schedule and ticket information can be found here.

“It’s going to be unique. It’s going to be imperfect. But it’s going to be ours,” said Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun. “I’m excited for the purple to show up and create a homefield advantage for us on the lake.”

The facility will create a stunning home field on campus

The new lakefront facility will provide a stunning backdrop for the Northwestern football, soccer and lacrosse teams during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Bridging the gap between the old Ryan Field and the new state-of-the-art stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2026, the facility will create a home field on campus for the Wildcats — including bleachers and enclosed box seats with a capacity of approximately 12,000 — with expansive views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Plus, two designated areas on campus will transform into a football festival and gameday tailgating experience for fans and guests.

The bleachers and enclosed box seats will remain in place until the end of the 2025 football season. Equipment and structures brought in for tailgating and other gameday operations will be removed at the end of the 2024 football season.

Northwestern Now will provide updates regarding gameday and tailgate procedures later this month.