Ohio
Why is Ohio State vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field? Explaining the location for Week 12 game | Sporting News
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.
NCAAF HQ: Live NCAAF scores | Updated NCAAF standings | Full NCAAF schedule
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.
MORE: Latest College Football Playoff rankings
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.
MORE: What if Auburn had hired Deion Sanders in 2022?
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.
North Central Ohio Industrial Museum
North Central Ohio Industrial Museum houses hundreds of products made in north central Ohio — including appliances, tires, pumps and much more.
MANSFIELD ― If you’re interested in manufacturing, you can come and see hundreds of products made in North Central Ohio — including appliances, tires, pumps, Klondike bars, cigars and pieces made for streetcars.
The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum inside the lower east diagonal wing of the historic Ohio State Reformatory showcases the history of manufacturing in Mansfield and surrounding areas.
Location
The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield.
Why it matters
The museum traces the history of manufacturing in North Central Ohio since the first steam locomotive came through town in 1846. Exhibits highlight the accomplishments of local residents and industry in peace and war, according to NCOIM President Jerry Miller.
What to see
The NCOIM has several themed sections of exhibits, beginning with “Every town had a mill,” then the Cast Iron Age, City of Stoves, Wires & Electric Exhibits, Cigar & Beer, Wheels, AG Industry and Mickey Rupp, which then begins an exhibit on what is currently manufactured in Richland County.
Miller said the late Bob Glasener started the museum and was responsible for saving many local industrial artifacts over the years. Miller said Glasener’s daughter has in her possession the 1939 World’s Fair Westinghouse (gold-plated) roaster, which she donated to the museum.
The museum is full of surprising finds.
Elektro the Westinghouse robot should be on display this summer at the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum after being restored.
A manhole and stormwater grate from 1935 made by the Tappan Stove Co. are among the treasures Miller helped to preserve. He also has the Tappan marquee and a Westinghouse marquee.
Plan your visit
Hours/admission: The museum will be open the same hours as OSR and will be free to tour with the purchase of a ticket to the prison-turned-museum.
Getting there: OSR is on the north side of Mansfield, just off U.S. 30.
Learn more: mrps.org (OSR is operated by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society).
Contact Lou Whitmire at 419-5-21-7223. She can be reached at X at @lwhitmir.
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — A Warren man who led police on a chase received his sentence on Wednesday.
Michael Greene, 32, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to make restitution.
Greene pleaded guilty in February to failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and failure to stop after an accident.
Greene was charged following a November 2025 police chase in Niles.
Prosecutors say that the chase involved speeds of about 103 miles per hour.
It was discovered that the car Greene was driving was reported stolen by a family member.
Patty Coller contributed to this report.
Experience history through augmented reality in Middletown
The Sandy Hook Foundation and Monmouth County Historical Association have unveiled an augmented reality experience that tells the story of Colonel Tye, a slave turned Revolutionary War raider for the Loyalists. Video provided by The Sandy Hook Foundation.
Ohioans have until May 25 to help document the final resting places of Revolutionary War veterans buried across the state.
The effort is part of the Revolutionary War Veterans Graves Identification Project, a first-of-its-kind initiative led by America 250-Ohio, the commission organizing the state’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project aims to create a publicly accessible database of veterans’ graves, complete with photographs, inscriptions and GPS coordinates, according to a community announcement.
The public can submit information through the Grave Marker and Cemetery Collection Portal until May 25. Submissions will be reviewed and finalized before the database is released July 4, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Thousands of graves documented by volunteers
Launched on Memorial Day 2025, the project has mobilized about 350 volunteers who have documented more than 4,000 grave markers across Ohio. The database is expected to include information on up to 7,000 veterans believed to be buried in the state.
Clusters of graves have been found in areas such as Clermont County and regions corresponding to the original Virginia Military and United States Military Districts. The first documented entry was the grave of Nathaniel Massie, a Virginia Militia private who founded the city of Chillicothe.
A window into Ohio’s early history
Ohio is home to a large number of Revolutionary War veterans’ graves, despite not being one of the original 13 colonies. After the war, portions of Ohio’s land were granted to veterans as payment for their service, drawing many to settle and build communities in the region.
Previously, records from organizations like the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution identified about 6,800 veterans buried in Ohio, but lacked precise locations and current photographs.
How to participate before the deadline
Anyone with a smartphone can contribute to the project. No historical expertise is required. Here’s how to participate:
- Visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves to review instructions and explore the map of cemeteries already identified as likely grave sites.
- Download the free Survey123 app on your smartphone.
- Visit a cemetery, photograph the grave marker, record inscriptions, and log GPS coordinates.
- Submit your entry through the portal before May 25.
Volunteers who do not wish to remain anonymous will be acknowledged by name for their contributions. The completed database will remain publicly accessible beyond the America 250 celebration and will be maintained by the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office and the Ohio History Connection.
A lasting legacy for future generations
The project is led by the Ohio History Connection and its State Historic Preservation Office, with support from Terracon Consultants, Inc. Submissions appear on a live, publicly viewable dashboard at ohpo.maps.arcgis.com.
“These are the very first veterans of the United States of America,” Krista Horrocks, historian, cemetery preservationist, and project manager with the Ohio History Connection said in the announcement. “Documentation is the part that will outlive all of us. Gravestones won’t survive forever, but if we can record their location and story today, that information will be here for generations to come.”
To learn more, view the live dashboard, or submit information on a grave site, visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
-
Alabama3 minutes agoGov. Ivey announces America 250 Alabama Celebration
-
Alaska9 minutes agoThis Alaska cruise port lets you experience the wild, untouched state
-
Arizona15 minutes agoDozens of repossessed Spirit Airlines jets now parked in Arizona desert
-
Arkansas20 minutes agoDave Van Horn press conference: Arkansas baseball coach, players recap Game 1 loss at Kentucky | Whole Hog Sports
-
California27 minutes agoJD Vance accuses California of letting Medicaid fraudsters cash in at taxpayer expense | Fox Business Video
-
Colorado33 minutes ago
Families, care providers navigate cuts to Colorado’s Community Connector program | Rocky Mountain PBS
-
Connecticut39 minutes agoARREST WARRANT: Georgia man accused of laundering nearly $63K from dead person’s account in Connecticut
-
Delaware45 minutes agoKent, Sussex Counties see rising share of Delaware roadway deaths in 2026