Northwestern University's $800 Million Stadium Project Gets Green Light

Despite controversy and expected legal action from local residents, Evanston City Council approves new 35,000-seat stadium.

Northwestern University has received approval from the Evanston City Council to build a new 35,000-seat football stadium, replacing the current 97-year-old Ryan Field.
The $800 million project is part of a $480 million donation from the family of Patrick and Shirley Ryan, the largest in school history, with some of the funds also supporting academic ventures.
The new stadium will host six concerts per year in addition to other events, following extensive discussions with residents over the number of concerts the stadium would host.
Despite the approval, the project has been controversial, with residents near Ryan Field expected to sue the city and Northwestern faculty calling for a halt to the project until the school addresses a football program hazing scandal.
Northwestern has not yet announced where the football team will play while the new stadium is being built.