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The Northwestern Wildcats football team will begin playing at the new $875 million Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill. this season and it's sure to be a memorable one.

On Friday, media members from the Big Ten Network including Jake Butt and Dave Revsine had a chance to take in everything Wildcats football including a practice and shared their thoughts on what is transpiring. 

Revsine came away duly impressed by the Wildcats' new game day venue, sharing a rare review on the stadium that he compared to a hallowed outdoor sports cathedral. 

"First Class in Every Sense" 

Revsine called the new Ryan Field "first class in every sense" and compared it to going from an everyday public golf course to a world class course like Augusta National in Georgia, where the Masters golf tournament is played every year. 

"It's amazing," Revsine said. "Great sightlines, incredible amenities. 

"The magnitude of the upgrade is hard to overstate. It would be like playing a muni (municipal golf course) with artificial turf tee boxes your whole life, then being told you're now playing every round at Augusta.

"1st class in every sense of the word," Revsine wrote on X. 

Butt Thanks Jackson for Grand Tour

What the new venue lacks in size (35,000-seat capacity) it makes up for in details, amenities, creativity, and heart. 

The new Ryan Field will be the smallest venue in the Big Ten this coming season but continues to draw rave reviews, and to fetch high ticket prices. 

"Really excited to watch/call games at the new @NUFBFamily stadium," Revsine's broadcast and in-studio partner Jake Butt wrote on Friday. 

"Fan experience will compete with the best stand in America!" he added.

Butt was given a tour by Northwestern athletic director Mark Jackson, who recently spoke about his plans for the Wildcats to thrive as an athletic program in the Big Ten.

Butt thanked Jackson for showing him and his co-workers around. 

"Thank you for hosting us and showing us around @MarkJacksonNU, excited for what the future holds for all of your programs!" Butt said. 

The 2026 college football season is fast approaching, with the Wildcats football team's home opener is set for Sept. 5 against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. 

A little less than a month later, the Wildcats will have a chance to upset the Penn State Nittany Lions and their new head coach Matt Campbell on Oct. 2 at the new Ryan Field on prime time television. 

The season is almost here, and the hype is justified — 2026 could easily be the most exciting NU football season in recent memory.

Northwestern took a chance and went against the grain with the construction of the new stadium, and it's creating a massive buzz.

Expect the new Ryan Field to be hopping by the time Oct. 2 rolls around and the TV cameras are pointed at this year's team. 

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