Ryan Field – historical stadium description

The origins of the stadium, located in the north of the Chicago metropolitan area, date back to 1905, when the first wooden stands for about 10,000 spectators were built at the site. The initiator of their construction was Evanston Mayor William Dyche. He was also behind the start of construction of a new facility at the same place in 1925.

Worth more than $1.5 million, the facility was among the best college stadiums in the country when it opened in 1926. It originally held about 25,000 spectators, but after expansions and the addition of the south curve, it approached the 50,000 capacity just after World War II.

The facility changed significantly with a major upgrade in 1996. The stands along the pitch then received an unusual shape. The western one with its upper level in the shape of a crescent moon was among the most original among stadiums not only in the US.

In the first half of 2024 Ryan Field was demolished to make way for a new stadium of the same name – slightly smaller, though more modern.