Matt Leinart’s Ryan Field reaction is clearest sign yet things are about to change for Northwestern football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team's new home field is state-of-the-art, and that will almost assuredly bring better fortunes to Evanston.
Matt Leinart’s Ryan Field reaction is clearest sign yet things are about to change for Northwestern football originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Northwestern Wildcats football team is about to set up shop in a new home during the 2026 season.
Set to open on October 2 when the Penn State Nittany Lions travel to Evanston, Illinois, for a Big Ten showdown, Ryan Field is a state-of-the-art facility that puts the fan first. In an ode to European football, and a way to maximize the atmosphere, Northwestern is introducing the “Wildcat Wall,” which is a standing-only section for students that will hold 2,000 students and stand at a steep 33-degree, 65%-slope, per USA Today . Pat Ryan Jr.
, son of some of Northwestern’s wealthiest donors and the CEO of his father’s company, revealed Matt Leinart’s stunning reaction to the “Wildcat Wall” after getting an exclusive peek at the field, with footage likely to be shown in the lead-up to the FOX Primetime Series game the first week of October. "We showed it to Matt Leinart when he was through town for Fox during the season … He got down to the end zone to take a look at it, and he talked about how you could feel energy coming off of it, even without people in it. Because it's looming over that south end zone,” Ryan said.
"No one's ever imported a supporter section from European football to create a student section. And I think most people in sports know that European football fans are among the most passionate fans out there and they really energize a building unlike most any other sport. " READ MORE : Northwestern lands Ryan Day’s son’s commitment over Ohio State Northwestern Wildcats football is showing extraordinary buy-in After the Indiana Hoosiers won the 2025/2026 CFP title , Northwestern is now the losingest team in College Football history without a championship.