Big Ten football is coming to Wrigley Field, and it could get ugly for Northwestern.

The Wildcats have endured a tough year after a surprisingly strong 2023 season, starting 2-4 in Big Ten play and scoring five points or fewer in losses to both Washington and Wisconsin. Ohio State likely represents Northwestern’s toughest test yet on Saturday.

David Braun’s team hopes a special kind of home-field advantage will be on their side. Are the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes prepared to play in one of the most unique settings in college football? The 110-year-old home of the Cubs has hosted football games before, but this one is more than just a novelty.

Here’s what you need to know about why Northwestern is hosting Ohio State at Wrigley Field.

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Why is Ohio State vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field?

Northwestern is displaced through at least 2025, as the 98-year-old Ryan Field was demolished for construction of the Wildcats’ new venue slated to open in 2026. 

The program played its first five home games at lakeside Martin Stadium, which has more of a high school feel than a Big Ten football feel. Martin Stadium holds just over 12,000 fans, down dramatically from Ryan Field’s capacity of about 47,000, and the setting right next to Lake Michigan leaves games subject to intense winds.

With baseball season over, though, Wrigley Field helps solve both of those problems. The capacity is much larger, and wind might not be as much of a factor — though Cubs fans will tell you wind blowing in from the outfield can always impact games at the iconic stadium. 

The Cubs’ season ended seven weeks ago, but Northwestern couldn’t schedule games at Wrigley Field in October just in case Chicago reached the postseason. That put Wrigley Field off limits for games on Oct. 5 and Oct. 19, even if the Cubs still playing at that point wasn’t the most likely scenario.

The stadium is now in the clear to host games against Ohio State and Illinois, with the Wildcats needing two more wins to earn bowl eligibility. 

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Where does Northwestern play?

Northwestern played at Ryan Field from 1926-2023, but the university began planning for a new, state-of-the-art football stadium earlier in the decade and demolished the nearly century-old venue earlier this year. 

For at least 2024 and 2025, Northwestern will split games between Martin Stadium on the shore of Lake Michigan and Wrigley Field. Expect the Wildcats to start next season at Martin Stadium again before finishing the year at Wrigley once the MLB postseason has ended.

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College football games at Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field doesn’t host an annual bowl game like Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park, but the classic stadium is not a stranger to hosting college football games. 

College football returned to Wrigley Field in 2010 for the first time in more than 80 years when Northwestern hosted Illinois. The Illini earned a 48-27 win in the annual rivalry game with a fascinating new backdrop. 

Due to a lack of space, however, the offenses were only able to drive in one direction, creating some additional chaos after turnovers.

Northwestern returned to Wrigley Field in 2021, with the Wildcats hosting Purdue. It was another loss for the home team, as the Boilermakers rolled to a 32-14 win behind a big day from QB Aidan O’Connell. By this point, though, the end zone issue was solved and offenses were able to drive in either direction.

Wrigley Field doesn’t have a rich history of hosting college football games over the last several decades, but that’s about to change with two games this year and some more next season. Northwestern hopes at least one of them is a win, but Ohio State could make it extraordinarily difficult on Saturday.