Northwestern opens the new Ryan Field on Friday. Here’s what to know about the $875 million stadium.

Northwestern coach David Braun called Friday night’s game against Penn State a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

After years of buildup, the Wildcats will play their inaugural game in the new $875 million, privately funded Ryan Field. Braun, who took his team to practice at the new field Sunday, billed it as “the best stadium in all of football.”

“This is transformational for the university and for the football program,” Braun told reporters at his Monday news conference. “And it’s an honor to be in a position to lead and serve this program, and also a unique challenge in terms of making sure that myself, our staff and our players ultimately focus on the main thing — and that’s preparing for a very talented, very well-coached Penn State team.”

Northwestern announced a sellout of the 35,000-seat stadium for the opener. As fans prepare to check out the Wildcats’ new home, here’s what you need to know.

What features stand out at the new stadium?

The Ryan Field promoters have stressed that every fan will get a “premium experience.” Every seat is a chair with armrests and a cupholder, with no bleachers in the stadium.

The stadium also features a safe-standing section for 2,000 students in the south end zone, which Northwestern said sold out for the opener in two hours. Additional student seating was added to the sections next to the “Wildcat Wall.”

Braun repeatedly has appealed to students to bring their energy for the opener.

“My hope is that they show up and feel like not only are they a part of the team, but they’re a part of our success on the field,” Braun said. “We’re going to need that student section to be the heartbeat of the entire stadium and then a charge to our entire fan base. Get behind that student section and feed off of that group.”

While the stadium is open-air, a canopy roof is supposed to protect fans from inclement weather.

Stadium designers aimed to put upper-level seats as close to the field as possible. Tribune architecture critic Edward Keegan noted in his review of the stadium that this created an intimate feel but also a steep top level.

Keegan strongly praised the main concourse, calling it an improved version of the one at the White Sox’s Rate Field, with more walking space and better sightlines to the field for fans going to the concession stands.

What’s the food situation?

At every event, Ryan Field will host “The Great Chicago Food Festival” at the stadium’s festival grounds, essentially a high-end food court with pavilions from some of the top culinary names in Chicago. Rick Bayless, Stephanie Izard, Gibsons and Luxbar and the team behind Dimmi Dimmi will have stands, while another will feature James Beard Award winners, starting with Publican Quality Meats.

The pavilions — along with another grill and a section featuring Evanston and North Shore food — are open before and during games.

Concessions in the stadium include some Chicago nods with Al’s Italian beef, Pat’s pizza and Garrett’s popcorn. And there’s a $5 concession menu that includes hot dogs, burgers, nachos, popcorn and soda.

The stadium also has “two-minute markets,” quick-grab concessions with AI checkout technology.

How much are tickets?

Braun announced a sellout Monday, but a week before the opener, Northwestern still had firsthand tickets available. Tickets on Ticketmaster then ranged from $142 for a 200-level seat to $1,168 for a seat in the East Club, an all-inclusive indoor and outdoor space with seats situated along the 50-yard line.

The East Club is one of four premium fan experiences, which also includes the Field Club, at field level in the north end zone. Those tickets were about $900 for the opener. There are also multiple private event spaces.

For the homecoming game against Ball State on Oct. 10, prices started this week at $123 and went up to the aforementioned club prices.

Single-game tickets for the remaining home games aren’t on sale yet. But Northwestern offered options for Ryan Field season tickets and a three-pack of games against Penn State, Iowa and Illinois, and some of those are available on resale sites.

What happened to the old Ryan Field?

Demolition began on the old Ryan Field in February 2024 and took several months to complete. The 98-year-old stadium, which opened as Northwestern Stadium and later was called Dyche Stadium, had previously undergone reconstruction in 1997, when it was renamed Ryan Field. It seated about 47,500 fans.

The Ryan family made a $480 million gift to Northwestern in 2021 that kicked off the plans for a new stadium, and its design was released in 2022. Northwestern broke ground on the new stadium in June 2024.

Northwestern’s last football game at the old Ryan Field was a 23-15 win over Purdue on Nov. 18, 2023. The Wildcats played the last two seasons at Martin Stadium on the lakefront and at Wrigley Field.

They also recorded wins this season against South Dakota State and Colorado at Martin Stadium. Friday’s opener of the new Ryan Field, located at 1501 Central St. in Evanston, will be played 100 years to the day that the old stadium opened on Oct. 2, 1926.

How does Ryan Field compare with other Big Ten stadiums?

The 35,000-seat Ryan Field will be the smallest Big Ten stadium by capacity by more than 10,000 seats. The next-smallest is Maryland’s SECU Stadium, which seats 46,185. Every other Big Ten stadium seats more than 50,000, with Michigan Stadium (107,601), Penn State’s Beaver Stadium (106,304) and Ohio Stadium (102,780) topping the list.

Only two other Big Ten football venues have opened in the last 50 years: Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium in 2009 and Rutgers’ SHI Stadium in 1994. The total cost for Minnesota’s project, which included site preparation, the stadium and district improvements, was $288.5 million.

Many Big Ten stadiums opened in the 1920s. Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, which opened in 1917, is the oldest.

Ryan Field is the most expensive stadium in college football.

What has been the reaction to the new stadium?

Coaches and players have given the new Ryan Field rave reviews over the last several months.

When Braun thought about his favorite part of the new stadium, which includes a posh new locker room, he pointed to the things he thinks could affect the Wildcats most.

“The thing that impacts our team the most and is just so impressive is how the fans are truly on top of the action,” Braun said. “They are a part of the game. Standing at midfield, you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the stands. The acoustics that that’s going to create with the canopy creates for an incredible opportunity for a home-field advantage.”

Ryan Field’s public relations team has offered tours to many journalists to drum up excitement, and count the Tribune editorial board as one entity that has bought into the hype.

Northwestern introduced the stadium to a broader audience last week, inviting students and the public to a free “welcome home” party Sept. 23. The university also invited season ticket holders and those who have tickets to the opener to a watch party for the Indiana game Sept. 25.

Among the people Northwestern will introduce to the stadium in the weeks ahead are potential Wildcats players. Braun thinks it will make an impact on the recruits they bring around on game day.

“The experience of playing in new Ryan Field and the locker room and everything that comes with it, amazing,” Braun said. “But what’s most powerful for our recruits is Northwestern is serious about this. They’re not messing around.

“We have the best facilities in the country. Well, the way that we support those facilities and our student-athletes in terms of everything that touches our football program has to be viewed through a lens of, is this reflective of us winning a Big Ten championship? That stadium is reflective of winning a national championship, and that speaks louder than words.”

How have the Wildcats prepared for playing in the new stadium?

Braun said the team has gone through walk-throughs and practiced Sunday at the stadium. He also has tried to prepare his players and staff for the details of what it will be like to play there — understanding what the walk from the locker room to the field is like, figuring out sideline mechanics, making sure coaches know where they’re sitting during the game.

“It will be a night of a lot of firsts, but it will be a lot of firsts for Penn State,” Braun said. “And fortunately, we’ve had a chance to work through some of those logistical things that maybe don’t directly impact the game. But the more that we can eliminate any questions around that prior to Friday night, the better for us. And a credit to a lot of people for helping us do that.”