Northwestern prepares Evanston campus for football games

Northwestern opens the 2024 football season on Saturday, August 31 against Miami University (Ohio) with the first home game at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.

Located on the north side of the Evanston Campus, the temporary facility is expected to bring increased activity and excitement to thousands of community members, fans and visitors before, during and after each of the five home games played at the facility this fall.

With just a few days to go until the first game, Northwestern Now has compiled a list of notes and reminders about closures and campus policies that will remain in effect throughout the season.

Athletics and recreational buildings will close

The Henry Crown Sports Pavilionincluding the Norris Aquatics Centre, Combe Tennis Centre, members office and wellness suite, will be closed all day for the five football matches to allow for various match day activities. It will reopen the following morning.

Alternatively, Blomquist Recreation Center will operate a modified schedule on game days to ensure Northwestern students, faculty, staff, and members have adequate access to recreational opportunities.

The Walter Athletics Center is closed to the public on game days, but is open to authorized university personnel, student-athletes and authorized media.

The bookstore and Starbucks at the Norris University Center will be open on all game days. For the first three games of the season, Norris will be open as follows:

• Saturday August 31st: 11am to 3pm
• Friday September 6: open until 8:30 pm
• Saturday September 14: 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Public access to other campus buildings will be limited. Members of the Northwestern community are reminded to carry their Wildcards with them at all times to ensure access.

Please note parking and transportation restrictions

It may take longer than normal to travel around campus due to heavier vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Seven parking spaces on the Evanston campus are designated as game day parking lots. All seven parking lots close at 6:00 p.m. the night before game days and reopen immediately after the game ends. Visitors to football games may leave their cars in the designated parking lots for two hours after the game ends. Cleaning crews clean the parking lots after games.

Cook Hall Lot will need to close early to accommodate match day activities. The southern end of Cook Hall Lot will be closed all day on Thursday 29th August. The rest of the lot will close at 22:00 that evening. Cook Hall Lot will remain closed after the match and will reopen the following day.

Signs will be posted at each lot to indicate closing times and dates. Unauthorized vehicles will be towed.

On football game days, limited parking is available for fans and guests on campus and in downtown Evanston parking garages. Shuttle buses for match days will be available to fans, guests and members of the Northwestern community who park downtown. Those who are able are encouraged to use public transportation or bicycles on game days.

Rideshare vehicles can drop people off anywhere along Sheridan Road near campus. There is a designated rideshare pickup point located on Colfax Street between Orrington Avenue and Sheridan Road.

Closing the pond the evening before the competitions

The lake fill will close at 10pm the night before each game to allow teams to set up their equipment. Play day at the lakethe tailgating and watch party experience. The walking and biking trails at the stadium and the lakefill area will also be closed at this time.

Fans with tickets to Lakeside Gameday are invited to return to the Lakefill after the game. Food and beverage services will continue until two hours after the Miami (Ohio) game and one hour after the Duke and Eastern Illinois games. Hours of operation for future games can be found on the Lakeside Gameday website.

Following the respective post-game festivities, Lakeside Gameday will close and the area, including the walking trail, will be reopened to the public.

The rules for food and drink are enforced

Vendors at the two venues, Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium and Lakeside Gameday, will serve food and beverages to ticket holders, including alcoholic beverages to those 21 and over. No outside food or beverages are permitted in the venues.

Outside the boundaries of Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium and Lakeside Gameday, alcohol may only be served by licensed and insured caterers at registered university events.

A separate notice to ticket holders will publish important information later this week that you need to know before match day.