Ryan Field

[Purple Pile Driver]

The new WR improvements are on the horizon and the fake on the lake has started. However, we still are saddled with Ryan Field. Sorry folks it is a dump. I know a ton was just raised for the Other projects and no one else wants to talk about RF until completion of these priorities, but I hope there are some behind the scenes discussion going on for RF.

I was at the NU/Iowa B B game and the place was as loud as I ever heard it. A true home court advantage in a "little" gym. The small size that we get ridiculed for by others in the B1G was an advantage. Why couldn't the football stadium be the same?

Forget the Big House or the Shoe. We are never going to get 100K in a game. How about reducing the size of the stadium, add sky boxes, expand the concourse with real bathrooms and concessions? Get ride of those south end zone seats that are filled with opposition fans and put in a decent video board.

Does anyone in the know have information that renovation of RF is even in the whisper mode? I am tired of it being so easy for the opposition to get sears in our house.

 

[phatcat]

If they renovate it, fine. As long as it doesn't los it's charm like the UFO on the south side near the lake.

I love Ryan Field. Warts and all.

 

[its_the_sauce]

Never understood the Ryan Field bashing. Of course the concessions are terrible but RF is hardly unique in that regard. If I go during a change in possession timeout I can hit the can without missing a play. Sightlines are great. I'm not sure what people expect out of their football stadium.

 

[BigNUFan51]

The bathroom situation should really be addressed at Ryan Field. Other than that it is fine.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

The sight lines are fine. It is too big. Take 10000 seats out and the tix stay with NU fans, instead of the opposition or empties. We rarely sell out. Tickets on sale for $4 on stub hub tell you something.

The washrooms and concessions are horrible. If there were no lines, you wouldn't need the portal potties. We can make the place so much better.

 

[NJCat]

The sight lines are fine. It is too big. Take 10000 seats out and the tix stay with NU fans, instead of the opposition or empties. We rarely sell out. Tickets on sale for $4 on stub hub tell you something.

The washrooms and concessions are horrible. If there were no lines, you wouldn't need the portal potties. We can make the place so much better.

Ryan is fine. Can't justify spending huge $'s for a facility that is used 7 days a year. Just spruce up the concessions and rest rooms.

Will NU be required to install permanent lights per the Big 10 regulations?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Ryan is fine. Can't justify spending huge $'s for a facility that is used 7 days a year. Just spruce up the concessions and rest rooms.

Will NU be required to install permanent lights per the Big 10 regulations?

My understanding is they will be required to install permanent lights.

Again, I know it's not popular to say anything negative about anything NU except our Assistant Coaches, but RF is a relic. Money is pouring in from TV, is there a reason that can't be used versus the donor route? At least for a portion. I go to every home game, and the place has a LOT of warts.

 

[willycat]

My understanding is they will be required to install permanent lights.

Again, I know it's not popular to say anything negative about anything NU except our Assistant Coaches, but RF is a relic. Money is pouring in from TV, is there a reason that can't be used versus the donor route? At least for a portion. I go to every home game, and the place has a LOT of warts.

Yes it definitely does. I'm with you 100% on the need for roomier concourses, better concessions and more bathrooms but not on lowering the capacity. It's already the smallest stadium in the conference and it any more puts you in MAC territory. I'd add more preferred seating, possibly on Walker Terrace and at the top of the east stands. Improve the south end and yes adding a real Jumbo-Tron is a good start. When the indoor practice facility and weight room are no longer needed, tear then down and increase the parking and the tailgating experience. Get the CTA to run express from the city to Evanston on game days and promote having restaurants and bars run buses to game with packages that include tickets and food. True it's only 7 days during the football season but how about mimicking the Cubs and holding concerts or other related events. Sure I know the city politicians and some neighbors would scream, not in my back yard. Screw them, the university is the largest employer in Evanston and NU should use that fact as a bargaining chip. Oh, I almost forgot, serve beer at Ryan Field! Again screw the Evanston Pols.

 

[Max_Power]

The new WR improvements are on the horizon and the fake on the lake has started. However, we still are saddled with Ryan Field. Sorry folks it is a dump. I know a ton was just raised for the Other projects and no one else wants to talk about RF until completion of these priorities, but I hope there are some behind the scenes discussion going on for RF.

I was at the NU/Iowa B B game and the place was as loud as I ever heard it. A true home court advantage in a "little" gym. The small size that we get ridiculed for by others in the B1G was an advantage. Why couldn't the football stadium be the same?

Forget the Big House or the Shoe. We are never going to get 100K in a game. How about reducing the size of the stadium, add sky boxes, expand the concourse with real bathrooms and concessions? Get ride of those south end zone seats that are filled with opposition fans and put in a decent video board.

Does anyone in the know have information that renovation of RF is even in the whisper mode? I am tired of it being so easy for the opposition to get sears in our house.

I definitely heard a whisper. The whisper was it's on the list but they want to start getting stuff finished so it's a few years down the road. That said they are at $400 million to athletics in last few years so the commitment is there.

 

[its_the_sauce]

Yes it definitely does. I'm with you 100% on the need for roomier concourses, better concessions and more bathrooms but not on lowering the capacity. It's already the smallest stadium in the conference and it any more puts you in MAC territory. I'd add more preferred seating, possibly on Walker Terrace and at the top of the east stands. Improve the south end and yes adding a real Jumbo-Tron is a good start. When the indoor practice facility and weight room are no longer needed, tear then down and increase the parking and the tailgating experience. Get the CTA to run express from the city to Evanston on game days and promote having restaurants and bars run buses to game with packages that include tickets and food. True it's only 7 days during the football season but how about mimicking the Cubs and holding concerts or other related events. Sure I know the city politicians and some neighbors would scream, not in my back yard. Screw them, the university is the largest employer in Evanston and NU should use that fact as a bargaining chip. Oh, I almost forgot, serve beer at Ryan Field! Again screw the Evanston Pols.

Weight room not going anywhere, it will be used by the other (i.e. non-football) teams.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I don't go to Ryan frequently enough to experience it's inconvenient amenities, but I love the throwback appearance of the facade and think the sight lines are quite good. The end zone seating seems like a waste and that space might be employed for concessions or a Wildcat HoF. Heck, why not convert that space into a regular Wildcat-themed restaurant that on game day provides concessions with upper level seating views with wait service?

 

[Alan Smithee]

I think there's no big problem with it now and they should put their focus on running the touchdown play more often.

 

[MotownMedilldo]

I would love to see the original design incorporated into any renovation. Namely, tearing down the east stands and having two towers like the west stands. They could add more concession stands and bathrooms on that side and get rid of the horseshoe in the south end zone. Not sure how they could solve the concessions and bathroom issues under the west stands, though.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I don't go to Ryan frequently enough to experience it's inconvenient amenities, but I love the throwback appearance of the facade and think the sight lines are quite good. The end zone seating seems like a waste and that space might be employed for concessions or a Wildcat HoF. Heck, why not convert that space into a regular Wildcat-themed restaurant that on game day provides concessions with upper level seating views with wait service?

I'd love to see some sort of Hall of Fame incorporated into the long term Central Street plans. It's long overdue and would be a great addition. Throw in an Otto Graham statue while we're at it!

 

[pawildcat]

I would agree Ryan needs a renovation, and I'm in favor of losing some seats to bring in more in line with our actual enrollment. It would be better in my opinion to have a mostly full stadium with at least half NU fans rather than a three-quarters full stadium that is half or more Buckeye fans etc. However, as others have said, we're several hundred million dollars into other projects at this time and even at NU there is only so much you can do at once. I think the school and some of its wealthier alumni have demonstrated their commitment to the athletic program over the past several years.

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

Get a surplus aircraft carrier from the navy, permanently dock it off of the new practice facility, and build a 25,000 seat stadium around it.

Blow a foghorn every time NU scores.

 

[docrugby1]

Get a surplus aircraft carrier from the navy, permanently dock it off of the new practice facility, and build a 25,000 seat stadium around it.

Blow a foghorn every time NU scores.

The "foghorn" reminds me of a story from the NU 'dark ages" about a game at Ryan Field

NU had the ball near the end of the first half against MSU. A Chicago-Northwestern train passed by and blew its horn. MSU thought the half was over and ran off the field. 3 plays later NU scored

 

[willycat]

The "foghorn" reminds me of a story from the NU 'dark ages" about a game at Ryan Field

NU had the ball near the end of the first half against MSU. A Chicago-Northwestern train passed by and blew its horn. MSU thought the half was over and ran off the field. 3 plays later NU scored

Sounds like you would have enjoyed a previous game at Duke a few years back. When they scored their first TD they set off a loud horn. Then they couldn't shut it off and the game was held up for a few minutes, until finally someone pulled the plug. Guess they didn't have much practice using that thing.

 

[DarthCat]

It's seven games a year, but only five of these are held even when students are even on campus. Only four if you consider a Thanksgiving weekend game when students at are gone.

Thrilled NU didn't spend any more on building this out and trying to solve all the football facility issues at Ryan.

I seriously doubt Ryan will get any significant improvements at all for another decade, and I couldn't care less. Keep it clean and maybe make the Jumbotron bigger somehow, and not blocked by the North end zone terrace. I'd be fine too with scrapping the south end zone seats and building 'something' there. But the work needed to expand concourses and build new bathrooms wouldn't be really worth it IMO.

 

[FloridAlum]

Sounds like you would have enjoyed a previous game at Duke a few years back. When they scored their first TD they set off a loud horn. Then they couldn't shut it off and the game was held up for a few minutes, until finally someone pulled the plug. Guess they didn't have much practice using that thing.

Aren't you thinking about the game at Vanderbilt in 2010?

 

[willycat]

Aren't you thinking about the game at Vanderbilt in 2010?

Yes, you are 100% correct. Guess those Purple Parties dull the memory.

 

[FloridAlum]

Yes, you are 100% correct. Guess those Purple Parties dull the memory.

I figured you had not recovered from your birthday party.


(Yes, it's true, willycat just had a Birthday)

 

[Frabjous]

IIRC the Purple Line does not run from the Loop on weekends. Must take the Red Line and connect up somewhere near Berwyn (?). Some straight shots from the Loop would be great for us out-of-towners staying in town, but that probably will happen when pigs fly.

 

[willycat]

IIRC the Purple Line does not run from the Loop on weekends. Must take the Red Line and connect up somewhere near Berwyn (?). Some straight shots from the Loop would be great for us out-of-towners staying in town, but that probably will happen when pigs fly.

Why not/ Special buses and the El run to Wrigley Field for all games and have for years.

 

[FanatiCat]

I am all for tearing out the south end zone. What I envision is a glass enclosed structure so you can see through from the street to the field. First floor has a Wildcat Hall and ticket office. Add a couple more floors for a restaurant/bar with terrace seating to the field. It could be open year round as a restaurant; that's a pretty cool setting. Then the Jumbotron on top of that.

It would be cool to see the East stands built up the way they intended but I just don't think there will ever be enough demand for it. Perhaps eventually they could create a West-like tower wall that would sort of enclose the East stands and rise up a little above them, without adding more seats or a second deck. That would probably be justified if it meant they could widen the East concourses and add more amenities.

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Love RF but it's ugly AF. The paint along the beige structures (no idea what to call them) on the west side of the stadium is chipping off and looks really bad. It needs a MAJOR facelift

 

[T_Levine]

I have said over the years that a Ryan renovation is all that's needed. Take the second deck and wrap it around like a horseshoe. Bring the south end zone seats closer to the field. Remove all the seats and change the pitch angle so the seats become closer and the stadium would become louder. Take out the sections past the north end zone build boxes or some game day experience that angle toward the field Lastly. I'd love to see a large covering/overhang like the u Washington stadium. Would protect from the elements that might keep a few people from abandoning on poor weather days and it woul really keep in the noise.

Stanford kept their footprint while reducing seating from 80k to 40k+. Dyche Ryan could easily do the same.

 

[NUCat320]

Yes it definitely does. I'm with you 100% on the need for roomier concourses, better concessions and more bathrooms but not on lowering the capacity. It's already the smallest stadium in the conference and it any more puts you in MAC territory. I'd add more preferred seating, possibly on Walker Terrace and at the top of the east stands. Improve the south end and yes adding a real Jumbo-Tron is a good start. When the indoor practice facility and weight room are no longer needed, tear then down and increase the parking and the tailgating experience. Get the CTA to run express from the city to Evanston on game days and promote having restaurants and bars run buses to game with packages that include tickets and food. True it's only 7 days during the football season but how about mimicking the Cubs and holding concerts or other related events. Sure I know the city politicians and some neighbors would scream, not in my back yard. Screw them, the university is the largest employer in Evanston and NU should use that fact as a bargaining chip. Oh, I almost forgot, serve beer at Ryan Field! Again screw the Evanston Pols.

While you're at it, there's a Great Lake that needs boiling.

 

[willycat]

While you're at it, there's a Great Lake that needs boiling.

Agree that's bit of a rant but somewhere in there are things that would improve the Ryan Field experience.

 

[pawildcat]

IIRC the Purple Line does not run from the Loop on weekends. Must take the Red Line and connect up somewhere near Berwyn (?). Some straight shots from the Loop would be great for us out-of-towners staying in town, but that probably will happen when pigs fly.

Not sure where you're talking about going. If it's Ryan, you should be able to get on the Red Line subway downtown, ride it to Howard and switch to the Purple Line.

 

[NURoseBowl]

Not sure where you're talking about going. If it's Ryan, you should be able to get on the Red Line subway downtown, ride it to Howard and switch to the Purple Line.

True fact.

 

[Frabjous]

A field that does not look like it is littered with Judge Smails' divots?

 

[Frabjous]

Not sure where you're talking about going. If it's Ryan, you should be able to get on the Red Line subway downtown, ride it to Howard and switch to the Purple Line.

Howard, right, thank you. Foolishly looked for a Purple Line train in town.

 

[Overly_Invested_Cat]

Yes it definitely does. I'm with you 100% on the need for roomier concourses, better concessions and more bathrooms but not on lowering the capacity. It's already the smallest stadium in the conference and it any more puts you in MAC territory. I'd add more preferred seating, possibly on Walker Terrace and at the top of the east stands. Improve the south end and yes adding a real Jumbo-Tron is a good start. When the indoor practice facility and weight room are no longer needed, tear then down and increase the parking and the tailgating experience. Get the CTA to run express from the city to Evanston on game days and promote having restaurants and bars run buses to game with packages that include tickets and food. True it's only 7 days during the football season but how about mimicking the Cubs and holding concerts or other related events. Sure I know the city politicians and some neighbors would scream, not in my back yard. Screw them, the university is the largest employer in Evanston and NU should use that fact as a bargaining chip. Oh, I almost forgot, serve beer at Ryan Field! Again screw the Evanston Pols.

I'm all for renovations to Ryan Field, but as a neighbor to the field I find your attitude deplorable. Post your address and I'll go piss on your garden. /s

 

[Hungry Jack]

I'm all for renovations to Ryan Field, but as a neighbor to the field I find your attitude deplorable. Post your address and I'll go piss on your garden. /s

That's just Willy being Willy. All bark, no thought.

 

[willycat]

I'm all for renovations to Ryan Field, but as a neighbor to the field I find your attitude deplorable. Post your address and I'll go piss on your garden. /s

You are all class, not.

 

[willycat]

That's just Willy being Willy. All bark, no thought.

Your the king of no thought.

 

[Fitz51]

Your the king of no thought.

You're.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Your the king of no thought.

No. I am the King of Western Avenue.

Go back and read your post about Sanjay. It's egregiously thoughtless for two reasons:
1) Uninformed. If last night's performance does not enlighten you, consider that NU's success is largely predicated on defense--a role in which Sanjay excels. And contrary to your argument, he's nowhere near a black hole on offense, being second on the team in FG % and rebounds while shooting a respectable 36% for 3pt range. For a team that is short of healthy players, he is incredibly versatile and contributes on both ends of the court.
2) You trashed him on the public board. You trashed a senior captain who has survived and thrived in a coaching transition, developed his game significantly, and is an incredibly smart player on the court. At least have the sense to do it on the pay board, and not the public board where all others can bear witness to your hateful misguided idiocy.

Since I believe in constructive criticism, I will post this video of Sanjay and break it down for you:



Note Sanjay's position on the inbounds play. The Cats are playing man and his man is on the perimeter. Sanjay avoids the pick, the pass is late, and as Sanjay approaches his man he watches his man's eyes and hands, smartly interrupting the pass without ever seeing the ball. That's brilliant.

Then slow, short Sanjay tips the loose contested ball to himself, away from his player, and then wins the race to the basket.

Finally, notice how after this remarkable play, the great Tom Crean holds up his hands in deferential surrender. He knows his Hoosiers cannot match Sanjay's brains and underestimated athleticism.

 

[Chilltown cat]

I will be interested to see how the Chargers do in the smaller soccer stadium in Carson. Maybe it will provide inspiration for smaller schools to build stadiums with a real home field advantage. It might also help some fringe schools avoid over-expanding like Rutgers.