Three reasons to love Northwestern football on the lake

Ray, people will come, Ray. They will come to Evanston for reasons they can't even fathom.

I like to imagine Derrick Gragg going for a walk. He likes to clear his head after a whole day of work. I have to take his steps. Big fan of the cold air.

In my mind's eye, I see the Northwestern Athletic Director walking through Martin Stadium on a crisp winter night, his gaze focused on a Lake Michigan veiled by a dark sky, when he hears a voice from above.

If you build it, he will come.

On April 10, Northwestern got its dream field. The school will build a temporary stadium on the lakefront that will host home football games during the two years it takes to build the new Ryan Field. I'm not entirely sure of the details of how this happens came to be. As for me, it could have been Gragg, or a disembodied voice from above Kellogg.

What matters is two unexpected years of football on campus, in what will potentially be one of the coolest and most unique locations in the country. If anything, it's a huge upgrade from many of the proposed alternatives, especially SeatGeek Stadium, the football-specific venue 50 minutes from the Evanston campus that at one point had a tendency to become an extremely depressing way station.

Here are three reasons to love Northwestern football on the lakefront:

1. Evanston Football for Student Athletes

The lakeside stadium is a huge stadium for Northwest football players who have committed to the program knowing there is uncertainty about the situation on the home field. It's huge for freshmen who could potentially have played 12 de facto away games in their first two years with the program in front of purple-free crowds spread across Chicago and the greater Midwest. Instead, they will open their Northwestern careers on campus in a stadium hopefully packed with 15,000 Wildcat faithful.

The new stadium means something more for the upper class. West Lot Pirates summed it up nicely:

For the group looking to resurrect the program after a 1-11 record and offseason turmoil, the lakefront stadium is a hard-earned salvation. These players deserve a rugged home environment and a stadium fit for an 8-5 bowl-winning football team. It's beyond cool that they can finish their college careers playing on their own campus instead of raising money from overseas fans as a showpiece.

And for recruiting, I think it's much easier for David Braun to bring guys to Evanston with the promise of at least eight real home games on campus. Northwestern immediately goes from The Library to The Lake Show (if lacrosse football borrows the nickname). The home environment is important in college football, and it's better to tell kids that they can open their seasons in their own backyard than in the home of the Chicago rugby team.

An underestimated aspect of the new location is the impact it will have on other sports. Northwestern lacrosse and soccer will both play at the lakefront stadium, hopefully breaking their respective attendance records. The lakefront stadium also won't infringe on Northwestern hockey territory, keeping the national championship runners-up at home where they belong.

2. One of the most unique venues in college football

The lakefront stadium immediately puts Evanston on the list of must-see destinations for college football fans. There's nothing really comparable to Big Ten football on Lake Michigan, especially against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline. I would argue that from a pure perspective perspective, up there is a refurbished Martin Stadium, which includes Washington's Husky Stadium, Army's Michie Stadium and BYU's Lavell Edwards Stadium. For an ever-respected team from the Northwest, the lakeside stadium adds a layer of credibility and relevance. Give me a Lake Michigan sunset on them all.

The lakefront was also built for college football. When College GameDay last came to Evanston 2013, ESPN focused on that. It's where Kendrick Lamar, Offset and Playboy Carti headlined Dillo Day. It was built for big stages and a national audience. Northwestern should have no problem filling the 15,000-capacity stadium to the brim. Students will be present. The stadium is a two-minute walk from the North campus. The novelty of lakeside football should bring a strong Evanston crowd and a healthy dose of spirited alumni. Northwestern has also already announced that season ticket holders will receive priority seating, possibly indicating the school expects tickets to sell out.

3. Tailgating on campus

Perhaps the biggest winners in all of this are students from the Northwest. Lakefront Northwestern football needs to power the campus. Give me tailgates on campus in the Martin Stadium parking lot and in the dorms. Give me goalposts in Lake Michigan. Give me a Monaco Grand Prix style sailing hole. Give me the Ryan family in a yacht.

As of now, it appears Northwestern will only play a handful of games at the lakefront stadium with students on campus next season. September 14 against Eastern Illinois and October 5 against Indiana seem to be locks on the lake. But the rest of home football can still be played at a combination of Wrigley Field and Lambeau Field. With two home games before the students arrive in Evanston (August 31 vs. Miami of Ohio and September 7 vs. Duke), you can blame the quarter system for this.

However, in a time of transition for Northwestern football, those few games are a gift to a student body that has demonstrated the ability and willingness to fill student sections. Make fun of The Library all you want, but old Ryan Field's student section was never the problem. In a reduced-capacity stadium, with one of the best views in college football, the students will make the environment.