Stadium Completion Date

[WildcatFan1955]

Good evening. I’m newer to the site, so apologize in advance if this has already been covered. I read that the stadium should be ready in time for the 2026 season.

-Was this date set before the plans were put on hold due to the Fitz scenario, so actually the date will be pushed out further past 2026? Or is fall 2026 a realistic ‘new’ timetable for the completion of the stadium?

-Do you think it is possible to complete a project of this magnitude by the 2026 season considering winter weather and any other factors that typically delay construction?

 

[Darren72]

I think the 2026 season was always the target. I don’t think it was slow down by the Fitz situation.

 

[techtim72]

NU should be good to go for Fall, 2026. Reasonable schedule at this point in time.

 

[zeek55]

There was never any realistic chance of being able to complete a full stadium rebuild in Evanston in 1.5 years (i.e. 1 lost season), so the default was always going to be 2 lost seasons (or 2.5 years of real time) with the stadium ready by mid-2026.

Didn't have anything to do with Fitz, just the size/scale of the project and the need to be mindful of the fact that it's in a residential area means that the teardown/rebuild have to be done at a pace that is a bit slower than what would happen in a strictly commercial area.

For example, they monitor the vibrations/noise levels/traffic levels and such and are doing a manual heavy machinery teardown instead of using explosives or just wrecking the whole thing fast.