Northwestern Stadium Developer: Seats Empty Because Fans Watched From Concourse

On Friday night, Northwestern opened its $875 million new stadium in style, thrashing Penn State 34–13 in front of a boisterous Ryan Field crowd. 

The “Wildcat Wall,” a seatless, “European-football style” student section with a 2,000-person capacity, was packed and contributed to an atmosphere head coach David Braun described as “electric.”

Yet, to some observers on television, the stadium appeared surprisingly … empty. 

Large swaths of the lower bowl were unfilled from the start of the game, and the crowd visibly thinned as the Wildcats cruised to victory in the second half. 

In response to a deluge of online comments lamenting the amount of empty seats, Ryan Sports Development CEO Pat Ryan Jr. said the 35,000-seat stadium was sold out the Monday before the game.

“Didn’t see it coming tbh: our concourses are open & overlook the field,” Ryan wrote on X. “They turned into giant bars with people hanging out watching the game there together live. Clubs were also packed w/ people watching the game.”

A Northwestern press release last month advertised that with “concourses that open directly to the bowl, the result is simple: fans can grab food and drinks without missing a play.” Ryan Field also contains four premium clubs where fans can sit away from the main seating areas and watch the game.

At a Monday press conference, Braun said he understood why fans would choose to stand on the concourses rather than remain in their seats, but acknowledged that creating a maximally intimidating atmosphere for opponents will be a process.

“I’ve stood up in that concourse, and I can’t blame someone for saying, ‘Hey, I just grabbed a beverage and a bite to eat, and I’m talking with someone that’s in a different seat, and I still got a great view of the game,” Braun said. “You can still be completely engaged and a participant in the game from those areas.”

“I just want to make sure that our fans feel like they are active participants in the game and impacting the outcome of the game,” Braun added. “And whether you’re doing that from a front-row seat or from the concourse or whatever it looks like, what I do know is when that place is rocking on third and fourth down when we’re on defense, it helps us win football games.”

The empty seats weren’t the only hitch in an otherwise euphoric night for Northwestern. 

A viral tweet showed reporters in the press box standing and sitting on cardboard boxes to get a clear view of the field. And several fans complained about spotty WiFi and cellular service, which Ryan blamed on specific service providers not equipping customers with enough coverage at the stadium site.

While Braun praised the student section and the broader environment, he said there was still room for the crowd to improve in areas such as forcing offsides, false starts, and communication issues through sheer volume. 

“If we’re going to be objective with our football team and evaluate everything objectively, I thought Friday night was a great start, and I think we have room to ramp it up that much more,” Braun said.