Featured image credit: Northwestern University
Northwestern University has revealed plans for a Lakeside Gameday experience near Martin Stadium, which will serve as a temporary home for its American football, soccer and lacrosse teams while Ryan Field is redeveloped.
Northwestern has partnered with experiential marketing and premium hospitality company SME to transform the Lakefill area into the “ultimate football festival and gameday tailgating experience”.
The Wildcats American football team will play five games this season at the enhanced Lanny and Sharon Martin athletics facility. Northwestern detailed plans for the temporary venue in April, with the move designed to keep the Wildcats close to home as the team looks to build on its bowl-winning 2023 season.
The temporary structure at the Martin athletics facility will offer views of Lake Michigan, Northwestern’s North Campus and downtown Chicago. Northwestern said the temporary facility will “bridge the gap” between the old Ryan Field and the new state-of-the-art stadium scheduled to open in 2026.
Work commenced on the Ryan Field redevelopment in June. The project will see the stadium’s capacity decreased to 35,000.
The Wildcats’ first home game at Martin Stadium will be on August 31. Northwestern will seek to transform each game into a festive celebration akin to an “outdoor festival” on the lake.
A large videoboard will enable fans to watch Wildcats games, as well as other nationally telecast college games. Fans will also be able to compete in corn-hole or giant Jenga games, while a DJ and house emcee will seek to enhance the atmosphere.
Game tickets will not be included in Lakeside Gameday packages, but Northwestern will offer multiple experience tiers to cater to different fan preferences and group sizes. Tiers will include general admission tickets and, among others, Wildcat Chalets, which will offer two-story chalets featuring a terrace and soft seating for up to 50 guests.
Daniel Nunes, senior associate AD for external affairs at Northwestern Athletics, said: “Hosting our home games along the shore of Lake Michigan allows us to provide our fans with a truly unique and scenic gameday experience.
“We are excited to bring our university community together in this beautiful setting as we look to create meaningful gameday memories for our fans, along with the ultimate home field advantage for our football programme.”
Toby Robertson, SME chief executive, added: “Our partnership with Northwestern affords us an incredible opportunity to do what we love … using big ideas to create memorable experiences for customers and fans.
“Given the location of the temporary facility, we worked with Northwestern to create a world-class fully turn-key event. All fans need to do is enjoy the Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago skyline, college football, music, the traditions of Northwestern and the camaraderie of gameday which will be the most unique gameday experience these next two seasons.”
The agreement between Northwestern and SME was negotiated by W Partners, a strategic marketing advisor for the college and its athletics department.
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