Northwestern to host Penn State in new Ryan Field opener

The Northwestern Wildcats will host the Penn State Nittany Lions in the inaugural football game at the new Ryan Field, the school announced Tuesday.

Northwestern and Penn State will square off at the new state-of-the-art Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill., on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, which is one day earlier than previously announced. Northwestern’s remaining four home games will also be played at Ryan Field — Ball State (October 10), Rutgers (October 24), Iowa (November 7), and Illinois (November 28).

“The opening of the new Ryan Field marks a defining moment for Northwestern Football and reflects our continued investment in excellence across every aspect of the program,” said Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Mark Jackson. “The opener against Penn State presented by FOX Sports provides us with an extraordinary stage to showcase the incredible stadium and the culture that Head Coach David Braun has established. We appreciate the dedication and support of our fans and campus community, and we look forward to welcoming them to the nation’s greatest college football stadium that will elevate the student-athlete experience and bring us together in powerful and memorable ways.”

Northwestern’s first two home games of the 2026 season, which are both against non-conference opponents, will be played at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. The Wildcats will host South Dakota State on Saturday, September 5, and Colorado on Saturday, September 19.

“We are incredibly appreciative of our remarkable workers, subcontractors and our partners at Central Street Consortium for being on track to deliver the new Ryan Field on time, despite the unexpected number of weather days that we’ve experienced,” said CEO of Ryan Sports Development Pat Ryan Jr. “We also sincerely appreciate the patience of our neighbors throughout the construction process.”

The new Ryan Field, scheduled for completion in mid-September, will have a maximum capacity of 35,000. This represents a reduction of over 12,000 seats from the previous capacity of 47,130.

Below is Northwestern’s complete schedule for the 2026 season, plus a link to their schedule page which will be updated with kickoff times and TV as they are announced:

2026 Northwestern Football Schedule

09/05 – South Dakota State (Martin Stadium)
09/12 – OFF
09/19 – Colorado (Martin Stadium)
09/26 – at Indiana*
10/02 – Penn State* (Ryan Field)
10/10 – Ball State (Ryan Field)
10/17 – at Michigan State*
10/24 – Rutgers* (Ryan Field)
10/31 – at Oregon*
11/07 – Iowa* (Ryan Field)
11/14 – at Ohio State*
11/21 – at Minnesota*
11/28 – Illinois* (Ryan Field)

* Big Ten contest.