Ryan Field Tops Out, Advancing a New Era for Accessible & Community-Focused Stadium Design

Northwestern University recently celebrated the topping-out of the new Ryan Field, marking placement of the final steel beam for the $850 million redevelopment. Designed by HNTB as lead design architect and architect of record, in collaboration with Perkins&Will as associate design architect, and with Thornton Tomasetti providing structural design and construction engineering services, the project represents a major milestone in modern collegiate athletics design. City leaders, university officials and members of the Ryan family joined more than 400 construction workers in celebrating the substantial completion of the stadium’s structural phase.

With a 35,000-seat capacity - down 12,000 from its predecessor - the new stadium is designed to deliver the most intimate game-day experience in college football. The field sits 21 feet below grade to enhance sightlines and acoustics while reducing neighborhood noise and light pollution. Open concourses, wide terraces and outdoor plazas at each corner connect fans to the field and to the surrounding Evanston community, offering spaces for gathering, tailgating, and year-round events. A state-of-the-art canopy and integrated green spaces provide both visual identity and environmental performance, supporting the project’s goal of LEED Gold certification.

Accessibility and inclusion are central to the design. The new Ryan Field doubles Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, with widened entries and ramps, expanded terrace seating, and improved restroom configurations. The stadium and its surrounding campus will be the most accessible in college football, designed to serve visitors of all abilities without adaptation or separation.

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