Why does Ohio State play football at Wrigley Field vs. Northwestern?

On November 17, 2024By Littum

Over the years, Ohio State football has played its fair share of games in some of the most iconic sports venues around the country — whether it’s in the regular season or the postseason.

Come Saturday at noon ET, the runner-up Buckeyes (8-1 overall, 5-1 in Big Ten) will add to that list when they take on Northwestern (4-5, 2-4) in their final road game of the regular season.

The meeting in week 12 between Buckeyes and the Wildcats will take place inside one of baseball’s most hallowed ballparks: Wrigley Field, home of Chicago Cubs.

Instead of tackling and scoring touchdowns on the gridiron, the Buckeyes will take on the Wildcats on a baseball diamond — a true rarity in college football today outside of the annual Pinstripes Bowl.

It will be the first time the Buckeyes have played in “The Friendly Confines,” a ballpark that opened 100 years ago this year. But like noted by Ohio State’s game notes this week isn’t the first time the Buckeyes have played in a baseball ballpark. Saturday will mark the sixth different MLB ballpark where Ohio State will play.

Here’s what you need to know about why Ohio State plays Northwestern in Chicago at Wrigley Field in Week 12 and more:

Ohio State vs Northwestern standings

Stadium: Wrigley Field
Location: Chicago

Ohio State takes on Northwestern at Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field, which is the second oldest MLB ballpark, has a capacity of nearly 42,000.

Why is Ohio State vs Northwestern playing football at Wrigley Field?

Playing at Wrigley Field is nothing new for Northwestern, as the Wildcats have a history of playing at the ballpark in the past — including a game last year against Iowa.

But that’s not the only reason Saturday’s game between the Buckeyes and Wildcats will be played at Wrigley.

Northwestern’s home stadium, Ryan Field, currently is undergoing a massive two-year rebuild from the bottom. The Wildcats have played their previous five home games inside a temporary stadium built on their campus, located right next to Lake Michigan.

With Ohio State being within driving distance of Northwestern – plus being the biggest “college football brand” on the Wildcats; home schedule this year – playing the Buckeyes in a bigger stadium makes more sense. Northwestern’s temporary stadium, which was built by InProduction and brought in stadium bleachers, has a capacity of 12,000, as reported by USA Today.

Saturday’s game against Ohio State will be the first of two games for Northwestern at Wrigley Field, with the other being against Illinois on Nov. 30.

The history of college football games at Wrigley Field

While not many college football games are played at Wrigley Field each season, The Friendly Confines has hosted its fair share of football games over the years.

As noted by Marquee Sports Network, The Cubs used to share Wrigley Field with the Chicago Bears from 1921 to 1970 before owner George Halas moved the NFL franchise’s home games to Soldier Field in 1971.

The first college football game to take place at Wrigley Field was in 1938 between DePaul and St. Louis, two college football programs that no longer exist today.

This Saturday’s game between Ohio State and Northwestern will be the third game Northwestern has played at Wrigley since 2021 and the fourth since the Wildcats and Cubs formed a partnership in 2010.

When Northwestern first played at Wrigley Field in 2010 against Illinois, it was the first college football game played at Wrigley in four decades. It also consisted of only one end zone and one sideline that both teams had to share.

Since that game in 2010, Wrigley Field has undergone some renovations to accommodate the needs of a football stadium to ensure the safety of all involved. As mentioned in a press release from the Cubs, the field layout has been updated from last year’s game against Iowa to give each team its own sideline.

Here’s a panoramic look at Wrigley Field being transformed from a baseball diamond to a football gridiron in 2021, the first year there were two end zones:

Here is a complete breakdown of past Northwestern football games played at Wrigley Field, including results and scores:

2010 vs. Illinois: Loss (48-27)
2021 vs. Purdue: Loss (32-14)
2023 vs. Iowa: Loss (10-7)
2024 vs. Ohio State: TBD
2024 vs. Illinois: TBD