New Ryan Field Game Days in Evanston: Central Street Timing

On the night the new Ryan Field opened, one 7th Ward resident stood on his porch while fans in purple walked past. He told The Daily Northwestern that his household was "leaning in today and cooking out like it's a game day for us too." Eight days later, the stadium's second game came and went with much less noise, and the neighbors noticed.

Only two games have been played, but they point to one lesson for anyone who lives, parks or shops near Central Street. When kickoff falls has done more to shape the neighborhood's day than the size of the crowd. Rutgers comes this Saturday, October 24, with an 11 a.m. kickoff. Iowa and Illinois follow on Saturdays in November. Neither has a kickoff time yet, but neither lands on a weekday evening commute the way the opener did.

The Opener Ran Into Rush Hour

Northwestern opened the $875 million, 35,000-seat stadium on Friday, October 2, with a nationally televised game against Penn State. The Evanston RoundTable reported that every seat had sold, with 3,500 free tickets going to students. Evanston Now later pointed out that Northwestern had not released a turnstile count, so "sold out" describes ticket sales, not how many people actually came through the gates.

The game lasted almost eight hours from first activity to last, according to the City's advance notice. It included pregame pyrotechnics and an F-16 flyover from the Indiana Air National Guard. Banner planes and a police-escorted Penn State motorcade arrived on top of that, neither of which was in the notice. A resident whose apartment faces the stadium told the RoundTable that the Friday game "was a nightmare because it was right at rush hour." He said a drive to 1400 Noyes St. took him 20 minutes.

The Ball State homecoming game on Saturday, October 10, was set up very differently. Kickoff was at 11:30 a.m., and the City's game-day notice planned for about 17,000 attendees, roughly half the opener's sold-out capacity. One neighbor told the RoundTable that the second game was quieter than the first and that the City's traffic management was good. Another said traffic felt about the same as at the old stadium, with fewer Uber drop-offs than before.

The Ryan Field Community Advisory Council was scheduled to meet October 14 to review both games. City Manager Luke Stowe said the review would benefit from having a day game and a night game to compare.

How the Day Works If Kickoff Is 11 a.m.

Northwestern's official schedule lists the Rutgers game, which is also Family Weekend, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 24. The City's District 6 parking page still lists kickoff and restriction hours as TBA for all three remaining games. Game times can change, so check it before you move the car.

The rules published for the opener tie each restriction to kickoff. If kickoff stays at 11 a.m., the day would run like this:

Cars parked in the tow zones will be towed. Cars without permits in the wider restricted area can be fined $125. The City's October 10 notice adds that "Tow Zone" signs override all other signs and restrictions.

Driving changes too. Ashland Avenue between Lincoln and Central normally runs one way southbound. On game days it becomes one way northbound, open only to shuttles and local traffic. Between Central and Isabella, Ashland runs northbound before the game. Afterward it carries two northbound shuttle lanes and one southbound lane that sends cars from the west lot onto Central Street, heading west and away from the stadium. Northwestern's two shuttle routes both come in on Lincoln and Ashland and leave by Isabella. One shuttle loops downtown Evanston by way of Ridge and Emerson. The other runs along Sheridan Road to campus.

A morning game means the 6 a.m. tow ban starts before most Saturday errands do. A Friday-night game pushes the same ban into the evening commute.

The Train Worked, and the Bike Valet Had Plenty of Room

The stadium sits between two stations. The CTA Purple Line stop is to the east and Metra's UP-North stop to the west, and the CTA 201 bus stops right out front at Central and Jackson. For the opener, the CTA added Purple Line Express service and free postgame rides. Metra planned extra trains for the opener and added service after the remaining home games.

The RoundTable's opening-night report found that the shuttles and the extra trains seemed to work fairly well. The bike valet on Isabella Street near 4th Street in Wilmette had 500 spaces, and only 80 were used. For a neighbor heading downtown or riding over to the game, that leftover space is the most dependable spot on the block.

Rideshare had the roughest start. After the game, pickups are allowed only in the Haven Middle School lot at 2417 Prairie Ave. The stadium's "Getting Here" page calls it the one location the City has authorized. At the opener, Lyft sent riders to Haven but not to its lot, while Uber seemed to allow ordinary pickups. Drivers were also seen parked along Central Street despite the ban.

One Saturday tradition has not come back. Northwestern has no designated tailgate zones outside the stadium and its lots. Canal Shores, a longtime tailgating spot, was last used for that in 2022 before its renovation, and it does not appear to be returning.

Evanston's Own Kitchens Moved Inside the Gates

The stadium has also pulled the neighborhood's food scene inside. Through the "Evanston & North Shore Favorites" program, The Daily Northwestern reported that these local restaurants ran pop-up stands at the opener:

• Soul and Smoke
• Hecky's BBQ
• Mustard's Last Stand
• Bluestone
• Double Clutch Brewing
• The Fat Shallot
• La Cocinita
• Spice Restaurant
• Pizza by Sal's, from Wilmette

Frio Gelato and Hartigan's Ice Cream Shoppe are serving at the stadium too. All game-day proceeds beyond operating costs go back to the restaurants. A spokesperson said an update was coming on whether the lineup will stay the same all season, so the stands this Saturday may not match the ones from opening night.

Mustard's Last Stand stands out on that list. It operated next to the stadium for decades, and the opener was the first time it sold food inside. Bluestone owner Patrick Fowler told The Daily Northwestern that the stand brought in "new customers who are asking where we're located, where they can come visit us."

A few details matter to residents with tickets. According to the RoundTable's opening guide, the stadium is fully cashless, with "reverse ATMs" that load cash onto prepaid cards. Re-entry is not allowed. Under a City Council ordinance, alcohol sales stop at the end of the third quarter. Each home game also sets aside 500 tickets at $25 through "Seats for Those Serving." The program is open to teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, military members, veterans, government employees, social workers and clergy who attended Northwestern or who live or work in Evanston.

After November 28, the Calendar Gets Longer

Northwestern usually plays seven home games a year. This season Ryan Field gets five, because the first two were played at Martin Stadium. High school football was booked in between. Evanston Township High School was scheduled to play New Trier there on Friday, October 16, and Northwestern reported 20,000 tickets sold as of that Monday.

Concerts are the bigger change still ahead. The City Council approved up to six concerts a year in 2023. The Daily Northwestern reported that Mayor Daniel Biss cast the tie-breaking vote on that part. Concerts are expected to start sometime in 2027. First the stadium advisory council has to help write a concert operations plan, and the city manager has to approve it. The City's September transportation plan forecasts the venue's first year of events. Among them are six full-house concerts, 34 community festivals, two graduations and five Northwestern football games. It is a forecast, not a booked calendar.

Neighbors told the RoundTable they see concerts and football differently. One Rosalie Street resident put it this way: "You could put up with anything that's only seven times a year. But they're going to do concerts."

Professional soccer is on hold for now. The Chicago Stars dropped their bid for a permit to play at Ryan Field in March, after opposition from Evanston residents and the Village of Wilmette. The club has announced it will play its 2027 home games at Martin Stadium. Its community relations director told The Daily Northwestern that Ryan Field would most likely be a "temporary solution" while the team pursues a stadium of its own.

That makes November 28, the Illinois game and Senior Day, the last time this year that the Central Street tow signs go up.

Owners near Central Street will be weighing the new stadium for a while, especially with concerts expected in 2027. If you'd like a clear read on what your home is worth now that Ryan Field is open, Victoria Stein can put together a valuation based on recent sales near you. Request a Home Valuation to get started.