Ryan Field – stadium description

Located in the north of the Chicago metropolis, the Northwestern University’s home ground is one of the area’s oldest. It was opened in 1905 with 10,000 capacity in wooden stands. It was initiated by then-mayor William Dyche.

He was also the one behind plans to build a new 45,000-viewer stadium in the same place in 1920s. The ground was smaller upon opening in 1926, but later eventually outgrew the plan, reaching 50,000 soon after WWII.

The stands were created to resemble a horseshoe, which was significantly modified by 1996. This is when the final shape of the ground was created, perhaps among the most original worldwide. One amazing feature is the half-crescent upper tier of the west stand.