With venerable Ryan Field being replaced by new facility in Evanston, Northwestern is set to host the second-ranked Buckeyes at Wrigley Field on Saturday.
“It’s just got a great vibe there right in that neighborhood, and it’s a very unique place with unbelievable history,” said Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. “So it’s a great opportunity for us.
“I’m also excited for Buckeye Nation to get to the game and the fans to be there as well and experience that and to get an idea what kind of presence we’ll have at the game. I’ve been a part of teams that have played at Yankee Stadium and then over in San Francisco where the Giants play, and it is different. It’s a different feel, but it’s a great opportunity for our team. And ultimately there will be 100 yards of football field, and there will be stands on both sides, and we’ll compete, so we’re excited about it.”
Wrigley Field has been the home of the Cubs since 1916 and is less than 10 miles south of the Northwestern campus.
Northwestern has played three games there since 2010, including a 10-7 loss to Iowa last November.
The Wildcats, who are set to close the regular season against rival Illinois at Wrigley on Nov. 30, have played their previous home games this season at their practice field, which was beefed up with temporary seating.
The new Ryan Field is set to be ready for the 2026 season.
Ohio State has never played at Wrigley, which was the home of the Chicago Cardinals in the 1930s and the Bears from 1921-70, but the Buckeyes have played in multiple MLB home stadiums in the past.
That includes a 34-3 win against Northwestern at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland in 1991 — considered a home game for the Wildcats, it was moved to boost the gate receipts — and trips to San Diego to play BYU at Jack Murphy Stadium (1982 and ‘93), Anaheim to play Fresno State at what is now Angels Stadium (1994) and New York City to play Columbia (1926) and NYU (1938) at the Polo Grounds.
They also played at Minnesota 11 times when the Golden Gophers’ home was the Metrodome and went 11-0 in those contests.
Ohio State leads the all-time series against Northwestern 65-14-1, last losing to the Wildcats in 2004. That was a double-overtime 33-27 upset at Ryan Field.
That is Northwestern’s only win against Ohio State since 1971.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Ohio State at Northwestern, Noon, Big Ten Network, 1410
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