Michigan Football to play in 6th football game at Wrigley Field in modern era
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The Michigan Wolverines are set to face the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday, but there’s something a bit special about this matchup. The Big Ten foes will meet in one of the most famous venues in American sports — Wrigley Field.
Wrigley Field, which opened in 1914, is the famous home of the Chicago Cubs and is the MLB’s second-oldest ballpark. Known for its ivy-covered outfield walls and hand-operated scoreboard, Wrigley Field is one of the most well-known places in all of sports.
“It’s a historic venue,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said on Monday. “We’re really excited about going there, but it’s just the place we’re playing. We talked about it and showed the team what it looks like, but we have to go play football.
“The venue will be cool and it will be awesome to play in there. Hopefully we will have a lot of fans in there. It will be great to have all that support from Michigan nation and our fans at Wrigley Field. It will be fun.”
The upcoming matchup will be just the sixth football game at Wrigley Field in the modern era. After the Chicago Bears played their home games at Wrigley Field from 1921-70, there were no football games played there from 1970-2010.
Northwestern has been a part of all five of the college football games at Wrigley Field in the modern era, playing Illinois in 2010 and 2024, Purdue in 2021, Iowa in 2023 and Ohio State in 2024. Now, Michigan will join the exclusive club.
“I’ve never been to Wrigley, so I’m excited about the venue and seeing it, but once the game starts, it’s the same field,” Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said. “It will be a cool experience. We play early so we’ll get up and be ready.”
There is a unique preparation that goes into a football game being played at a baseball stadium — covering the infield dirt with grass and adding padding to the outfield walls and end zones — a setup that takes more than a month to complete.
The dugouts are removed to create more space for the end zones, and the locker rooms are located in the clubhouses. Northwestern’s locker room will be set up in the Cubs’ clubhouse, while Michigan will take the visiting team’s facilities.
“Logistically, I know the locker room is a little different and the walk is a bit like Rutgers where you have to walk up a ramp and go a little further,” Moore said. “That’s something we have to handle, but it’s not going to be a big deal for us.”
Michigan has eight players from Illinois that will return to their home state this week, including cornerback Jyaire Hill, linebacker Jimmy Rolder, edge rusher Nate Marshall, defensive lineman Trey Pierce, tight end Deakon Tonielli and others.
“It’s a historic venue,” Michigan tight end Marlin Klein said. “Growing up in Germany, I don’t know much about baseball, but Jimmy Rolder was my roommate for years. He’s from Chicago and is a huge Cubs fan, so I know how pumped up he is.”
Check out an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of exactly what goes into a football game being played at Wrigley Field, including an in-depth look into the transformation of the locker rooms, field and tunnel.
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